The Hunger
by LolaRitaReedus
Summary: AU. Daryl Dixon and Beth Greene are brought together by powers unseen at a very early age. Fate seems to be preparing them for an important purpose. Will their faith in each other and their hunger for a better life be strong enough to see them through times of despair? No ZA. STRONG M for Smut/Violence/Abuse/Language. Bethyl, Glaggie, Merle/Original character.
1. Chapter 1: Visions

**A/N: Hey guys, this story is going to be a long one, so stay tuned. The story starts with Beth and Daryl as children, but the time span moves fairly quickly in the first few chapters. This is primarily BETHYL and it won't be a slow burn. Later chapters will also incorporate Richonne, Glaggie, and Merle/OC. Please leave us reviews and let us know what you think! Thanks! eReedus & LolaRitaVida**

**The Hunger**

**Chapter One - Visions**

_You have a Guardian Angel_

_Who watches over you_

_Everywhere you go_

_And everything you do._

_This gentle, Heavenly helper_

_Is there to be your guide_

_To shelter and protect you_

_And for you to walk beside._

_Your Angel will always help you_

_Whenever things go wrong_

_They'll be the wings beneath your feet_

_As life's path you walk along._

_Feel this calming presence_

_Be enfolded by her love_

_And let your life be guided_

_By a power from above._

**Saturday April 18th 1992. Marietta, GA**

Erika was sat in solitude in her huge mansion in Marietta, looking blankly out into the stillness of the silent night. There were tears forming in her vivid blue eyes as she contemplated his fate. Daryl's fate. She was more upset than she had been for a very long time. She felt frustrated because she didn't fully understand why he was so important, why these things were happening to him. She also felt truly powerless. And powerless was something Erika did not like feeling at all. She just wanted to help him, stop the pain and make everything okay.

She'd been awoken hours ago. She'd had another vision, a fleeting but vivid glimpse of a horrific event that was to happen soon and as much as she wanted to stop it she knew she couldn't. She understood the rules. She didn't like them and she sometimes felt they were unfair, never more so than right now. When there was a young child involved. There was only one rule her kind had to obey under all circumstances; Human life had to be allowed to play out the way fate had determined at the dawn of time. The dice had already been thrown, lives mapped out. She was merely here to comfort and guide. It was forbidden to interfere and the penalty was severe.

Erika had found a loophole in this ruling many years ago. She was able do more than watch and guide, if the human made an effort to help themselves, if they fought back and tried to effect change themselves. If they attempted to alter the path destiny had laid for them. She had used this loophole once or twice in the past and although Lorelei hadn't approved of Erika's decision she had let it go unpunished. Lorelei was kind and fair and she had seen the anguish Erika had been feeling. Erika knew she could do nothing this time though, Daryl was only seven, he wouldn't be fighting back and he wouldn't try to change anything. Erika had witnessed over the last seven years the way his father had told him time and time again this was how his life should be. That was why her heart was breaking. She knew what she had just witnessed in her vision, _was _going to happen and there was nothing she could do about it.

Erika sat for a while staring into the darkness as silent tears fell quickly from her eyes. Tears for something that hadn't happened yet, tears for a pain that hadn't been experienced yet. She decided if she couldn't stop it then she would be there for Daryl afterwards. She would comfort him and let him know she was there for him. She knew he had Beth Greene now and that was how it was supposed to be. That was, after all, why she had gently guided Daryl into Beth's path a year ago. The union of Beth Greene and Daryl Dixon had been written since the beginning of time. Erika didn't know why, not yet, she just knew it was imperative that they met while they were young. The rest would just happen as it had always been destined to. She neither had the power to alter it nor to stop it. She was there to merely watch and comfort.

**Daryl's POV, one year earlier...**

**Wednesday** **April 10th 1991. Senoia, GA **

This day started off just like most of the others in Daryl Dixon's life so far, with screaming, fighting, fear, and sadness. But what Daryl didn't realize that morning was, by the end of this particular day, his life would have changed forever. And the beating he got for coming home late would be worth it. He would have taken it a thousand times to know that his life was never going to be the same again.

This day was to become the first day of the rest of his life.

It always started with his mom and pa screaming and cussing at each other, her throwing things, his pa throwing things - usually at her, until one of them either left or got injured so they couldn't carry on fighting. Merle would make himself scarce first chance he got. Being eight years older than Daryl, he was able to just leave, take care of himself for a while, and stay under the radar. Daryl used to tug at his sleeve, his dirty little tear stained face looking up at his big brother, and ask if he could go too. Merle would tell him no, that he was too small, he'd just get in the way, and that he should just stay quiet in his room until their pa either left or got so drunk he'd fall asleep. That would've been fine except his pa didn't always leave or fall asleep. Sometimes he'd find Daryl and take it out on him, slapping him until his legs were so red raw he couldn't even sit. He'd knock him to the floor, cussing at him, and telling him he was a waste of space and was never wanted and he wished his stupid whore of a wife had never got herself knocked up. His pa had once even told him that he'd tried to get rid of him but nothing would work.

In those moments, all Daryl could hear was buzzing white noise and the ranting of an awful drunk man mingling with a woman's screaming as she tried to stop her husband from killing their son. That was when his mom wasn't on her _special _pills and too out of it to even notice. Daryl would just curl himself up into a ball on the floor and wait for it to stop, or wait for the other. The belt. It would be one of them, his pa would either stop or would thrash him with his belt.

Daryl tried not to make a sound. Even at six years old he knew that crying just inflamed his father more. So he'd just take it. All of it; the pain, the stinging, the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, the hate filled nastiness that spewed from his father's mouth, the feeling of being alone and totally uncared for and unloved. Sometimes he couldn't hold it in though. It would hurt too much and the tears would roll down his cheeks, whimpers and yelps would escape his trembling lips, and sometimes he'd bite down so hard on his tongue he would draw blood. He would scrunch his eyes shut praying someone would make it stop hurting. Wishing someone would soothe him; just cuddle him until it all went away.

Daryl had only gone to school this particular day to escape his father. He'd crept out the back of the house and he'd run all the way to school. He knew he was going to be in trouble later. If his pa had tried to find him and he wasn't there, it would make him even angrier.

Daryl didn't like it much better at school than he did at home but at least he wouldn't get beaten there and he liked his teacher. She was pretty and nice and kind to him.

Some of the other kids were mean to him though, but he just ignored them. They were cruel just because his clothes weren't as good as theirs, because he wasn't as clean or as tidy as them. His hair was always long and unruly and he always had dirty hands and knees with rips in his pants where they'd become worn through.

Although his mother did try to care for him when she could, in between her bouts of drug and alcohol use, she wasn't much good with sewing...or anything really. Daryl liked it when she tried though. He liked to sit on her knee as she combed his hair. She'd sometimes hum and sing to him. He liked it when she'd rock him in her arms. He'd close his eyes and play with her fingers, twirling his tiny ones around her bigger ones, enjoying the warmth of her skin on his. None of that happened very often now though, not now he was at school. His pa would yell at his momma that Daryl was too old to be coddled like that, that she'd make him soft. He thought it would probably never happen again now. Ever. Why would anyone want to cuddle him? He was useless and bad, he was unlovable... that's why he had to be punished.

School was almost finished for the day and Daryl didn't want to go straight home, but he knew he would have to eventually and then he'd be in trouble. Even more trouble if he was late and his pa had already had too much to drink. Another beating. He could still feel the marks his pa made over a week ago. Every time he leaned back into something, even a chair, they made him wince as they stung across the middle of his back.

Daryl decided to stay behind for a while and sit behind the wall at the back of the bus stop. He peeped around and watched as the rest of the children were collected by nice moms and dads, being hugged and having their hands held as they walked home. He didn't know why his mom and dad weren't like that. He thought perhaps he'd done something bad or had something bad inside him that made them not like him. All the other moms and dads liked their children so it must be his fault.

Daryl wondered if he should not go back home at all. He could run away and live in the woods or he could go to the city where a nice man and lady would look after him. Daryl imagined they would take him to school, they would hold his hand and they would mend his clothes. Yes that's what he was going to do and he was about to start walking when a voice interrupted Daryl's thoughts.

Suddenly there was a woman stood next to him frowning down in his direction. "Young man? Why are you hiding back here? You should be out in the open with everyone else so the teachers can keep an eye on you." Daryl scowled at the woman as she knelt beside him and removed her sunglasses. Her eyes were a bright blue, bright as the sun and real pretty to look at. She talked with a funny accent like James Bond, too, which was really cool. She smiled at Daryl kindly and he relaxed. She seemed nice, so maybe he didn't mind her talking to him after all. "It's not good to be alone, Daryl," she said in a quiet serious tone as her smile faded. How did she know his name? Maybe she was another parent or something. The lady turned her head and studied him for a moment, then grinned. "Being alone will make you a grumpy-pants, you know." The lady poked at him jokingly and it made Daryl grin, too. "Come on then, out front with the others. I won't take no for an answer." The lady took his hand and guided him out to the front of the bus stop then pushed him forward lightly.

Daryl was about to turn and tell the nice lady that he wasn't waiting on his parents; that he was just supposed to walk himself home. But the lady was already gone. Just poof. She must have been in a hurry, he thought. Daryl scratched his head and made his way over to a bench in any case. He figured he'd sit here a little while more before heading home. He was revisiting the thought of walking to the city when another voice chimed in. He looked up to see a really pretty girl walking toward him.

"Is your name Daryl?" she asked as she got closer to him "Will ya wait with me? I gotta wait for my daddy to come pick me up in his truck but he's got a flat so he called Miss Jackson to tell her he's gonna be late. I don't wanna wait on my own and everyone else has gone now" Beth finally stopped talking as Daryl just carried on staring at her.

He didn't know who she was but then he didn't know who most of the kids were. He thought she was real nice though, even if she did talk a lot.

"My name's Beth… you're Daryl Dixon ain't ya?"

"Hhhmm." Daryl just grunted at her, he didn't know what to say to a girl.

"What ya doin' out here? Why ain't your momma come to pick ya up yet?"

"I don't need no one walkin' me home. I ain't a baby. I can do it on ma own."

"Do ya want daddy to give ya a lift home? He won't mind. Daddy never minds nothin' if I ask him." Daryl didn't want anyone knowing where he lived or to know about his parents, either, so he just shook his head.

"You don't talk much do ya… do ya wanna come for supper at my house? Momma don't mind. She said I can bring anyone I want home but when I ask them they all say no. I don't think the other girls like me too much." Beth continued to talk as much _at_ Daryl as _to_ him.

Daryl just sat on the bench and watched her. She had real pretty curly blonde hair with a red ribbon in it and her clothes were real clean and neat. She looked smiley and happy and he wondered if she had a nice mom and dad. They sounded like they were nice.

"None a' the boys like me much neither…I don't care. They're all momma's boys anyway."

"We can be friends Daryl! I know I'm a girl but daddy's got a farm and we can play in the barns. I got a horse, Blaze, you can ride him if ya want, he won't mind, and ya can ride on daddy's tractor, too, another time. It's real fun…"

Daryl liked the way she talked. She babbled softly and he liked how it sounded; happy and excited, it reminded him of birds singing. No one at his house ever talked, they just shouted.

"Are ya gonna come for supper then? Daddy don't mind. He'll take ya back home later and ya can call yer mom and dad from my house if ya want?" Beth was looking at Daryl in a way nobody had ever looked at him before.

She wasn't looking at his messy hair or his ripped clothes or his dirty face. She was just looking at Daryl, the little boy behind all those things that just wanted a friend; wanted someone to play with.

"I don't wanna ride yer stupid horse… but I'll come over for supper." Daryl tried to smile at her but it sort of came out more like a grimace. He knew he'd be in trouble if he didn't go home but he wanted to know what it would be like to have a friend... even if she was a girl.

Beth just giggled at him and cocked her head to the side. He didn't know it then, but at that very moment Daryl Dixon had just fallen in love with Beth Greene. His Guardian Angel had done her work... for now anyway.

Hershel Green had finally gotten to the school at about 3:30. He was surprised to find that Beth wasn't alone. There was an unfortunate looking little boy sitting with her. As he got out of the truck and walked to them, he watched as his daughter chattered on and the boy watched her in amazement. His daughter was like that. She could talk about anything and everything and it always sounded like the most beautiful happy melody he ever heard. This boy obviously thought so too. Hershel chuckled to himself as he took in the awestruck look on the boy's face.

"Daddy, this is my new best friend Daryl! He don't talk much but he's real nice. I invited him to supper. He said his parents wouldn't care for him coming over. Can he? Please? He won't stay late. You can drive him home right after we eat. Please daddy?"

Hershel looked the boy over again and noted his torn dirty clothes and unkempt hair. He looked like he could use his daughter's friendship. He looked like he could use anyone's friendship. Hershel ducked his head to try to catch the boy's eye, but he'd had his head to the ground ever since Hershel approached the two kids. "Well, what do ya say, son? You want to come for supper?"

The boy had barely nodded his head at the ground before Beth had him by the hand and was dragging him to the truck, chattering about what she figured her momma would be making tonight. Hershel grinned as he watched the boy pick up speed and trot after his youngest daughter. The boy looked too thin and he would be glad to get him home and get him fed.

Hershel wasn't able to get a peep out of the boy on the ride to the farm, either. Daryl had sat as far from him as possible, squeezed against the passenger door. The only thing that seemed to brighten the little guy was Beth's chattering and when she would pat him on the knee midsentence or nudge him with her elbow to urge him to answer a question.

Hershel already understood what Daryl's issues were, or he thought he had a pretty good idea. Hershel's own father had been a cruel man, abusive. His mother had been a capable woman despite that and she took good care of him as a child. Hershel was always clean and perfectly groomed as his father demanded but Hershel imagined that he was much like Daryl emotionally when he was young – skittish and uncertain.

When they pulled up at the farm, Hershel got out and helped the kids out his own door. He lifted Beth easily to ground then reached for the boy. Daryl froze and Hershel instantly understood that he didn't want to be touched. He backed away and let the boy clamor out the big truck on his own. When Daryl barely had his feet on the ground, Beth had him by the hand again, pulling him down the drive. "Come on Daryl. You gotta see the barn! We can play 'til supper, can't we Daddy?"

"I reckon. I'll tell Momma you've got a guest. You two come straight in when we call for you so you can eat your fill before Daryl's gotta go home."

"Okay Daddy!" Beth was already chattering on, something about the barn. But Hershel was surprised to find that Daryl turned slightly back to him, caught his eye, and offered a small little smile and nod of appreciation. It was over as quickly as it had appeared, but Hershel caught it. That one little grin had already captured Hershel Greene's heart.

An hour later, true to Beth's promise, Beth and Daryl came running straight from the barn as soon as Annette called from the porch. Annette was shocked at the little boy, even though Hershel had told her all about him. As he came up on the porch, Annette fought the urge to plunk him down in the bath, cut his hair, and mend and wash his clothes before supper. Instead she just knelt down and reached her hand out to him in greeting. "Hey Daryl. I'm Annette, Beth's momma. Thanks for comin' ta have dinner with us."

Daryl was confused as he shook the lady's hand. Annette. Wasn't _he_ supposed to thank _her_ for letting him come for dinner? Not the other way around? He smiled at her, in any case. "Uh, thanks?"

Hershel was right. The boy didn't say much, but that shy little crooked smile of his would absolutely steal your heart. Annette looked at her daughter and wondered if that's what had drawn her to him. No, probably not though. Beth wasn't like everyone else. She didn't need a smile or fancy words to see the goodness in someone. She'd seen something else in this boy. Annette stood back up and grinned. "Well, come on. Shawn's at Jacob's house but Daddy and Maggie are already eatin'. There won't be any left for us if we don't get in there." Daryl looked at her sharply before realizing she was only kidding about there being nothing left if they waited too long. It broke Annette's heart to see that. He probably went hungry most nights. She made a mental note not to joke about food again.

They were having a simple casserole, handmade biscuits, and a store-bought strawberry pie for dinner. Nothing fancy. But Daryl gawked at the dinner table like it was a feast fit for a king. He ate two heaping plates full and two pieces of pie and three glasses of milk. Hershel and Annette enjoyed feeding him as much as he enjoyed eating it. They actually took turns dishing out the food for him. Beth giggled at Daryl, but didn't say anything about his eating. She was too busy telling her momma and daddy about her and Daryl's plans to build a clubhouse in the barn.

Maggie watched wide-eyed as Daryl ate like a horse across from her. She didn't say anything about it either, though. Even Maggie understood that this boy needed to be welcomed into their home. When Daryl reached for a second (and the last) piece of pie, Maggie reached over to help him dish it out. As soon as Maggie's hand touched Daryl's, Daryl saw a flash of white light behind his eyes that grew and grew until he was almost blinded. Then he saw Maggie, an older Maggie in a pretty dress, placing a big tall cake - not a pie - in front of Daryl and Beth before passing him a big triangle-looking knife. Daryl looked around quickly. Beth was older now too and Daryl taller and wearing a fancy suit! All of Beth's family was looking at him and Beth with love and acceptance and hope as Beth took his hand and started helping him cut Maggie's pretty cake...

Suddenly Daryl was back at Beth's momma's dinner table and Maggie was holding on to the last piece of pie, looking at Daryl strange. Daryl grabbed the pie from her and plopped back down in his seat with a wide grin that he couldn't seem to get rid of. Daryl didn't know what just happened - a daydream maybe, but it was great. He told himself he'd try to daydream like that more often as he looked at Beth with big eyes. Since he'd never had pie before, Daryl wondered if that was what did it. Maybe people that ate pie also got to have other good things like that daydream. The look of pure delight on Daryl's face as he stuffed himself with the last forkful of strawberry pie was enough to make Maggie smile and shrug as she asked to be excused at the end of dinner. That boy sure did like him some pie, Maggie thought.

After Maggie went upstairs, Hershel excused himself too. "I'll be back in a few minutes, Daryl. Gonna check on one of the horses before I take ya home." He kissed his wife and thanked her for dinner, making sure to tell her what a good job she did fixing it for them. Daryl watched the exchange as Beth smiled over at him. "Bethy, it's your turn to clear the table, remember? Help your momma." Beth immediately got up and started gathering plates; well, as many as she could reach. Annette did the rest.

Daryl was practically licking his pie plate and finishing the last of his milk as Annette gathered the last few dishes. As she began to wash them at the sink, she was surprised when Daryl tugged on her skirt to catch her attention. He cast his eyes down as he thanked her for supper and explained how his mom never cooked anything like that. She leaned down to Daryl and put her hand on his long unkempt hair and told him that he would always, _always,_ be welcome to eat with them. Every night if he wanted to. She also told him that he didn't need to be invited, he just needed to show up and there would always be a place for him at their table. She'd had to stand up and turn away from him then so he wouldn't see her tears start to fall. The look on the precious boy's face had been one of wonder and gratefulness so deep that it cut at Annette's soul. She could hardly stand it and she didn't want Hershel to take him home.

Beth and Daryl played a board game until Hershel came back in. It was starting to get late and the sun would be about to set in about a half-hour. He needed to get the boy home. "Daryl, time to go." Hershel could tell that the boy didn't want to go, and that his daughter didn't want him to go either. Truth be told, neither he nor his wife wanted Daryl to go either, but there was nothing they could do about it. Everyone said their goodnights and Annette reminded Daryl to come back for supper any night or every night if he wanted. The poor little boy rubbed his stomach and shook his head urgently in response. Annette's eyes met Hershel's as he ushered the boy out the door toward the truck.

The ride back to town was quiet except for Daryl showing Hershel which house was his. After having been fed and welcomed, Daryl didn't seem to be as scared of the older man. That was a good thing, at least, Hershel thought. He knew instinctively not to park too close to the house, so he pulled the truck to the curb a few hundred feet down the road. Daryl looked at Hershel with a grateful smile but didn't make to get out of the truck immediately. Hershel decided to take the opportunity to say something to the boy.

"Daryl?" The boy met his eyes immediately. "You know what Annette said about you being welcome for supper every night?" Daryl looked dejected. Probably thought he was about to be uninvited, Hershel thought. "Well that invitation stands for _anytime_. Not just for supper. You run on over whenever you feel like it and you don't even need ta ask our permission. Our house is a safe place and we want ya there. Okay?"

Daryl's serious eyes met Hershel's again one more time as Daryl tried to figure out why these people were being so nice to him. He reckoned it didn't matter, though. _A safe place…we want ya there._ Daryl thought it was all too good to be true, but he didn't care right now if it was or wasn't. He didn't care that he was probably going to catch a beating for going to school and coming home late. He didn't care about anything except that he now had a best friend, the prettiest girl he ever saw in the world, and a full tummy that wouldn't growl and ache tonight. "Thank you, sir. I'll be back for sure." Daryl opened the door and started to climb out. He turned back to Hershel with a big genuine grin like a normal little boy and added, "Especially if there's pie." Then the boy was off and gone, struggling to shut the truck door and sneaking off through the yards to his house.

Hershel let a few tears fall in the parking lot of the Super Rama. Then he went in and bought a whole slew of assorted frozen pies and extra Cool Whip.

That was Wednesday April 10th 1991. Daryl Dixon saw Beth Greene every single day of his life from then on. They never spent one day apart. That was until Saturday April 16th 2005.


	2. Chapter 2: Angels

**The Hunger**

**Chapter Two - Angels**

**Beth's POV, one year later...**

**Friday April 24th 1992. Senoia, GA.**

Beth's daddy had dropped her off right on time for school. She usually liked to get there early so she and Daryl could look over each other's homework before they had to turn it in, but Maggie's primping this morning in anticipation of her Friday night sleepover had made them later than usual. Daryl always did real good on his work, but Beth knew he felt better after she checked it. She didn't understand why he was so worried, like if he didn't get a good grade it would be the end of the world or something. And it was almost like he was afraid of getting a grade that was too good, too, because she noticed he would flub easy questions now and then that Beth knew he knew. She just didn't understand him sometimes.

Beth ran to Ms. Talbot's 2nd grade classroom, a big smile already on her face. She never could wait to see Daryl every morning, even if he was surly sometimes. Daryl Dixon was her best friend in the world, so Beth didn't care what the other kids said about him. She thought he was the nicest boy she'd ever met. He was just quiet and the other kids didn't know him like she did. Beth was disappointed today, though. Daryl was nowhere to be found, even after the final bell rang and everyone took their seats.

Where was he? Daryl hadn't missed a single day of school the whole year. He even came when he was sick – and he was sick a lot. Beth remembered earlier in the year, right after Christmas break, Daryl must have caught something really bad overnight. He had been fine playing at her house one day, then the next day at school he was pale, sweating, and could barely stand or walk. He just sat real still at his desk and pretended not to be sick so the teacher wouldn't send him home. Beth had tried to soothe him, but he wouldn't let her even touch him. Beth had guessed Daryl didn't want her to catch whatever he had. Beth would have wanted her Momma or Daddy to come get her. But Daryl didn't – he said it was fine and he didn't want to miss anything. If he had come to school when he was that sick, how bad sick did he have to be now?

Beth worried about it all day. She even questioned Ms. Talbot to see if she would call Daryl's mom and dad to check on him. Ms. Talbot gave her the funniest look and shooed her away. "Now Beth, everybody has to take a sick day now and then. Go on back to yer work." By the end of the day, Beth was practically in tears worrying about her best friend. She was in her daddy's truck almost before it came to a complete stop. "Daddy, we have to go see Daryl. He's sick! He didn't even come to school today!"

"Bethy, we can't just show up at someone's house uninvited like that. Daryl's mom and dad might not appreciate that. Why don't we get you home and then we'll try to call his house to check on him?" Hershel Greene wasn't a stupid man. He'd known the first time his daughter had invited that unkempt little boy home that something wasn't right. Daryl had an uneasiness about him, a jumpiness, especially where Hershel was involved. Hershel couldn't catch the boy's eye and his questions would often go unanswered. He suspected there were problems at home. Lord knows he'd heard enough rumors about Will Dixon and his temper years ago when Hershel used to frequent the bar, but Hershel didn't have any proof of anything and he wasn't about to go sticking his nose where it didn't belong. Folks around here just wouldn't have it.

Daryl was a sweet boy. Rough, but sweet and painfully shy. Hershel knew his youngest daughter only saw the good in anyone and everything, and she was definitely attached to Daryl. Hershel figured there must be a lot more to that boy than met the eye if his sweet angel was so hung on him. When their truck pulled up in their driveway, Hershel had to grab Beth's arm to keep her from tumbling out the passenger door in a hurry to get to the telephone. Once inside, Hershel had cringed, but dialed the number in the phone book he found for William Dixon. He wasn't surprised to find that the number was disconnected. He was a bit relieved, but his daughter's little lip was sticking out in a pout and her ocean blue eyes were swimming with tears.

"We have to go Daddy! We have to check on him. Something's wrong, I know it! Please, Daddy?!" Hershel could hardly refuse any request from his youngest daughter, especially when she was pleading, but this was one thing he would not relent on. He didn't want his Beth anywhere near the Dixon's house and he didn't want her involved in what might or might not be happening there. Besides, it might be nothing at all.

"Bethy, I'm sure Daryl will be back at school tomorrow. There's no need in being so worried."

"But Daddy…"

"No Elizabeth. That's final. Now I want you to go change and get started on your chores. Those chickens need to be fed. Go on. Your Momma will have supper done in a little bit."

Beth was beside herself, but she always did what her daddy said. Her tears fell freely, but she managed to hold back sobs until she was outside and on her own. She felt silly crying because she didn't usually do that, but Beth knew that something was just plain wrong. She wanted to talk to Daryl and know that he was ok. It hurt her heart to think he might need her and she wasn't there. She hated being so little and helpless and weak.

Beth went into the barn and fetched the pail of chicken feed and started spreading it in the barnyard as she continued to worry. If Daryl was here, he'd know what she should do. He was really brave, not like Beth herself. He'd probably just walk to her house if he was in her situation but Beth was sure she'd get lost if she tried it, though. She'd never been to Daryl's house – daddy always drove him home and dropped him off or he'd walk. She asked to go to his house a few times, but he always seemed to get real mad about it. Daryl just said that there wasn't anything fun about his house and she should stop asking.

Beth didn't want to go back into the house yet, so she decided to sulk in the barn on her own for a while. She should be playing with Daryl instead of wondering about him. Beth realized this was the first day that she hadn't seen or talked to him since they first met, a year ago. That thought made her worry even more… and miss him. Then her tears began to fall again. She knew there must be something really wrong and she started to panic, a sick feeling building inside her tummy as her mind started to race with all kinds of horrible things. What if he'd moved away? What if he'd been in an accident? What if she never saw him again? Beth started to sob loudly now, her little body shaking as she sniffed and gasped for air. She wiped away the damp on her cheeks with her sleeve and tried to calm down, she had an idea. Beth pressed the palms of her hands together in front of her chest. Her daddy always told her to pray to the good Lord in times of need and he would provide.

"Dear Lord, I'm Elizabeth Greene and I'm really scared 'bout what's wrong with my best friend Daryl Dixon. He didn't come ta school today and that just ain't like him at all. He always comes ta school... even when he's so sick he should be in bed asleep! Please make sure he's safe and that nothin' bad has happened to him Lord. I love him and I've missed him so much today. He's my best friend in the whole world and I just want him to come back so we can play. Please let him be okay, he's a real good boy Lord... Amen"

Beth moped her way back to the farthest horse stall which her and Daryl had cleaned out and set up as their own little "clubhouse". This was where they most often ended up after they got tired of running around on the farm. They had dragged all kinds of things in here to make it seem more like a real clubhouse. A few broke down chairs, a card table, games, a fan, a radio, blankets and Beth had even snuck in a cooler to stash snacks in – it didn't keep anything cold, but it kept the mice out. It was nice, almost like their own little home in a way, somewhere they could go and just hang out away from Maggie and chores and grownups. Nobody ever came back here – they had no reason to.

**Daryl's POV**

It was 2 a.m and Daryl was wide awake. It was swelteringly hot and humid in Daryl's little bedroom but that wasn't what had woken him. He'd been startled awake an hour ago by Will Dixons booming voice as he slammed and banged his way into the house in his usual drunken state. Since that moment Daryl had been too scared to move or make a sound. He didn't want to miss what his father might do next to either him or his momma. Although he was tired, Daryl's thudding heartbeat and the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach had kept him from falling asleep again.

He'd laid silently listening to his pa shouting at his mom for the past hour, Will slurring his speech more than usual so Daryl didn't really know what had got him so mad, he thought it was something to do with Merle but he wasn't sure. Will Dixon never needed a reason to be a bastard anyway, he just was. Daryl could sense it was going to be a bad one though, even at seven years old he'd grown attuned to the signs. But he was real worried for his momma too this time, sometimes his pa would hit her really hard and she'd get horrible bruises on her pretty face, cuts on her lips and her bright blue eyes would be all red and puffy from crying. Daryl wished she would just be quiet like him and then his daddy wouldn't have to hurt her.

Daryl hoped his pa would pass out quickly tonight and forget to come and find him, then he could sneak off to school in a few hours and wait for Beth like he always did. Even on the mornings after he'd been beaten he would go to school, he'd never missed one single day of seeing his best friends smiley face. Not since the day they met at the bus stop. He never told Beth about the beatings, he was sure a girl as pretty and nice as her wouldn't want to be his friend if she knew what his pa did to him. About how bad and useless he must be for his pa to beat him so often. It just helped him to know Beth would always be waiting for him. Each and every single time he saw her he felt like Superman. He felt like he could do anything and survive anything. And he wanted to do __everything__ with Beth Greene, always, even if she was just a girl.

Daryl pulled the bed sheets over his head and curled into a ball, his eyes squeezed tightly shut in a silent prayer for it to stop. That was how Daryl spent his nights, the one's where his pa made it home in a conscious state anyway. He wasn't tucked up safe and sound by his momma. His pa didn't read him bedtime stories and he didn't get kissed goodnight like every other seven year old boy. No, Daryl spent his nights curled up scared and alone; hearing, seeing and experiencing things that nobody, especially not a seven year old boy should have to witness. That was how it had always been for as long as he could remember. Until Daryl had met Beth he didn't know it perhaps shouldn't have been that way, that it should've been better, a whole lot better. When he saw that her pa didn't do bad things to her, when he saw how happy she was and how her parents loved her he started to think maybe it wasn't all his fault, but he still wasn't sure enough to tell her about his folks. What if it was his fault? He didn't want Beth to stop liking him or her folks to not let him come over anymore.

It might have been full of fear and sadness, but it was the only life he'd ever known. He knew it would never change and he knew he had to make the best of it. Besides, he had Beth Greene now, she'd stayed his best friend for the past year and she didn't care one bit that he was scruffy or surly sometimes because he was so tired. He liked nothing better in the world than to listen to her giggle. To hear her smiley happy voice babbling at him about so many things he thought his head might explode. She would read him stories too sometimes when they sat in their clubhouse. She read fantastic stories about giants and beanstalks, Princesses and wicked witches and she was so good at the different voices, she said that's how her daddy did them when he read to her. She didn't mind Daryl never said much back either, she just held onto his hand, swinging it back and forth and carried on talking at him as they walked around the farm. He thought he'd like to run away and marry Beth Greene one day when they were bigger, so it was always just them, not yet though, he didn't have any money or a house and they'd miss school. They liked doing well at school and he liked Beth checking his work before their teacher saw it. He never thought it was any good but Beth always told him it was the best in their class. Daryl liked hiding in her daddy's barn too where no one could find them. He was happy there, there were no grown-ups or shouting or beatings and they could just play. It was Daryl's safe place. Yes, when he thought about his best friend Beth it made him happy and warm inside and he didn't want that to ever change.

And as though his prayers for his pa to stop had been answered by some unseen angel, the house fell silent. Suddenly he could no longer hear his father shouting and cussing or his mother wailing and screaming. Daryl's eyes were wide open and staring into the darkness, he wasn't quite sure if he was more scared now or not. He hoped that his momma was okay but he daren't even pull the bed sheet back, let alone get out of bed and check on her, in case his pa was still there. Daryl waited for a long time, holding the sheet tight around him as though for protection, his heavy breathing and racing heartbeat the only noises punctuating the deathly silence of his room.

He wanted to see if his momma was okay and he needed a drink too. It was so hot and being under that bed sheet had really made him sweat and his throat was dry and sore. He really needed a glass of water. He thought it must be safe to get up now, his pa must be almost unconscious and his momma must have gone to bed. Daryl pulled the bed sheet from around him and sat up, listening. It was quiet so he decided to carefully get out of bed and creep into the kitchen. He could see his pa passed out in his favorite filthy, tattered armchair in the corner of the living room but there was no sign of his mom. He thought she must be in bed safe from his pa. Daryl always struggled to reach the faucet without standing on something so he quietly pulled over an empty upturned beer crate, turned the faucet on and filled a glass with water.

And then it happened. As he stepped off the crate his foot knocked into a pile of empty beer bottles, toppling them over and into one another like skittles. The noise of the crashing and clinking glass shattered the still night air, immediately waking his father from his drunken stupor. Daryl froze, his pulse thrumming in his ears and his heart pounding against his ribs. He wanted to run but his legs wouldn't move. Why was he so stupid? Why couldn't he just keep quiet? Daryl knew what was coming and all he wanted to do was grab Beth's hand and run to their safe place, hide there and never __ever__ see his pa again.

"Daddy I'm sorry…I jus' wanted a drink. I didn't mean ta wake ya. I couldn't reach. I was thirsty" Daryl started to apologize already knowing it would do nothing to quell his pa's rage. His begging never helped him.

"Daddy is it now, huh? Now ya know yer in trouble, ya stupid 'lil fucker… what the hell ya doin' outta bed? Ya useless 'lil shit. Yer jus' as useless as yer fuckin' whore of a mother. Wakin' me up with ya whinin'" Will Dixon was slowly coming round, his head already pounding like a drum from the alcohol coursing through his veins.

"I'll clear up the mess, go back ta sleep. Ain't no need ta get up" Daryl's little voice sounded desperate as he hoped against all hope that's his pleas might be heard for once. That someone might help or that his father might show an ounce of human decency towards his own son.

"Don't be tellin' me what ta do boy. Yer fuckin' woke me now, I ain't jus' gonna be able ta go back ta sleep. And look at the fuckin' mess ya made" Will Dixon was now on his feet, swaying and stumbling as he lumbered towards Daryl. His arms flailing towards the scattered bottles.

Daryl cowered and backed up against the sink in an attempt to dodge his pa's fist as it flew through the air towards him. It was pointless, the full force of his father's blow hit him square across his shoulder, knocking Daryl to the ground. The glass of water in his hand dropping to the floor with him, smashing into pieces as the water splashed over his crumpled body. Daryl lay for a moment curled up into a ball, amongst the water and glass, his hands covering his head, his eyes closed. It was the usual defensive position he adopted every time he found himself on the ground, under his pa's menacing figure. Everything went quiet and he thought for a split second that it was all over.

It wasn't. First he heard the familiar ripping sound of leather pulling rapidly against denim as his father's belt was torn quickly from around his waist. Then he heard the familiar rushing sound as the leather belt sliced through the stuffy night air on its journey towards him. Daryl's body stiffened and he drew in a deep breath. Finally he felt it. The familiar crack of leather as it struck him hard across his back; the sting as his flesh began to burn, the throb as the pain radiated over his skin. He wanted to scream out, he wanted to tell him to stop. He didn't though, he knew it would only make it worse, make it last longer. So he stifled the sobs and yelps and didn't beg anymore.

"Ya can clear that mess up ya 'lil shit, stand up an' pick it all up" Will Dixon was shouting at Daryl now and his belt was coming down hard and repeatedly around Daryl's neck and back, catching the backs of his arms too.

Daryl couldn't move, he couldn't do as his pa had asked. The pain was searing through his shaking body. His whimpers had turned to loud cries, escaping involuntarily out of his quivering lips and into the quiet night time air.

"Ya need teachin' a lesson boy. Ya need to learn ta keep quiet and stay outta ma fuckin' way. I don't wanna see yer pathetic sad little face, ya hear me? I don't wanna hear ya neither boy. Yer jus' a waste a' space only good for fuckin' things up" Will was in full flow now, shouting and thrashing Daryl worse than he ever had before.

Daryl didn't know if he could take any more. He thought he might feint or be sick. He wondered why his momma hadn't come out to help him. She must be able to hear surely? She usually stopped his pa when he got the belt out to him. Daryl felt strange, he thought he was fainting as his eyes closed and everything went silent and white. He could feel heat, he could smell smoke, he could see fire. Orange and red flames danced around his momma's bedroom as white smoke swirled around her. She was sleeping. She wouldn't wake up. The flames became bigger, the smoke became thicker until he couldn't see her anymore. Then she was gone. Then there was darkness. Daryl opened his eyes and was back on his pa's kitchen floor, everything around him spinning.

Daryl felt queasy, his stomach was churning. His head hurt too, his tongue was stinging since he'd bitten it after the first stroke had made contact with his skin. His whole body felt like it was burning. He felt like he was on fire. But the middle of his back felt sticky wet too and he didn't know why. It usually felt hot and painful but never wet. His undershirt was sticking to his back and that hadn't happened before either. As he scrunched his eyes even tighter, it went white again. Beth was smiling at him, holding out her hand to him and smiling. He blinked back tears and then it wasn't Beth anymore, it was a little girl younger than Beth. She was just as pretty and she had the same curly blonde hair and blue eyes. Her giggle sounded just as sweet as Beth's too.

Then the belt struck him once more but much harder than any of the other times. The image of the tiny girl gone from his mind as quickly as it had entered as the pain seared throughout his entire body. Daryl could only assume his father had just struck him with the heavy metal buckle of his belt. Daryl had never felt anything so painful in his life. The sound as it tore into his skin was horrific and he was powerless to stop from screaming out as hot tears streamed from his eyes.

"I'm sorry…sorry I'm so…useless….I won't wake ya again…I promise" Daryl's voice was weak as he tried to speak through deep shuddering sobs "Please…daddy it hurts, it hurts…real bad…swear I won't be bad again" Daryl couldn't help but beg, he needed it to stop. He wanted to get to Beth. He wanted to see her pretty face for real, he wanted to hold her hand for real.

Then as if his prayer had been answered, Will Dixon stopped the beating. Perhaps it was the pleading of his tiny son curled up at his feet, maybe it was the fact he'd whipped his son so hard this time he'd actually drawn blood or perhaps it was just the work of his guardian angel. Daryl didn't know why it had stopped and he didn't care either. He just knew the cracking of leather and metal on his already bruised and raw skin had stopped and he was grateful for that. He stayed curled up, his breath labored as muffled cries and sobs racked his small frame and tears fell warm and salty down his cheeks and onto the kitchen floor.

After what seemed like forever, Daryl unfurled himself and looked up to see his father sprawled out and asleep in his armchair. The leather belt that had just ripped skin from his back now crumpled into a harmless pile on the floor, where it had fallen from his pa's grip as he fell into a deep drunken stupor once more.

Daryl crept back to his room to put his pants, socks and shoes on. It was painful to even bend over though. He wasn't sure if he'd even be able to make it the whole way to Beth's. He felt shaky and sick and the pain over his back, neck and arms came in waves, alternating between terrible throbbing, stinging and burning. He had to try though, he needed to get out of his pa's reach. Daryl had no idea why his pa had stopped hitting him but he knew if he woke again he would try to finish the job.

Before he left he needed to check on his momma to make sure his pa hadn't hurt her too or that the smoke in his dream hadn't taken her away. Daryl found his mom laid flat out face down on her bed with a half empty glass of water and an empty bottle of her __special __pills on the nightstand next to her. Daryl now knew she must've been asleep again and that was why she hadn't come to him. Otherwise she would have. At least she wasn't bruised or hurt or taken away in the smoke. Daryl drank the water that was left in the glass, he was still really thirsty and his throat was sore from crying. He winced at the sting as the water touched the cut on his tongue and the nasty metallic taste of blood flooded down his throat. He placed the glass back down and leant forward to kiss his momma goodnight on the cheek.

"Love ya momma. I'm goin' ta Beth's 'til pa calms down. Ya stay asleep outta his way" Daryl whispered to his mom before turning to leave. He didn't know if she could hear him or not but he wanted to tell her just in case she worried when she woke up.

Daryl caught his reflection in the mirror on the closet door. His undershirt had red lines across it, lines of blood that had soaked through from his skin and into the material. Daryl just stared into the mirror at the ugly mess that was his body. He now realised what the sticky wet feeling had been. Blood. Tears started to prick at his eyes again as he suddenly panicked about going to Beth's. He couldn't let Beth see, not this. She wouldn't want to look at him or talk to him. Not a boy so terrible his pa beat him until he bled. No, he'd just hide in their clubhouse instead until he felt better. Beth would never need to know and they could still be friends.

Daryl crept back through the house and out the front door. It was still slightly ajar from when Will had returned home earlier so Daryl quickly slipped through. He started to walk in the direction of Beth's house. He'd been there so many times in the past year he could do it blind folded so he wasn't bothered it was dark. Every step he took was painful though, he knew the throbbing would take hours to subside even though the stinging had almost already stopped. The blood on his undershirt had started to dry and was sticking to the raw skin of his back. He tried his best to pull it apart but it hurt. It was like ripping off a band aid slowly.

Daryl had only been walking for a short while when he noticed a tiny figure coming towards him. He didn't know if it was a boy or a girl because it was too dark to see properly. All he could make out were bright blue eyes looking towards him. They were piercing, almost glowing but Daryl thought they were kind eyes and they looked familiar. His heart skipped a beat as he thought for a moment it was Beth, but then he noticed the eyes were even brighter than hers. The darkly clothed figure got closer and closer to Daryl really quickly, like the person was floating and he could see it was a lady now, not a little girl or boy. He wasn't scared though, he felt kind of safe, like a comforting warmth was radiating from her that he could feel but not see. It was the same kind of safe he felt when Beth was near him. The kind of safe he always wanted to feel. His wounds didn't seem to hurt so much now either, like he was being held tightly by soft feathered arms. His pain was ebbing away slowly as the lightest of invisible touches brushed his skin.

"It's rather late for a young boy like you to be wandering around alone isn't it Daryl?" The lady stopped beside Daryl and spoke softly and quietly to him, her invisible wings encasing Daryl's body in a loving safe embrace.

"I'm goin' ta see ma friend… and it ain't late. I ain't scared 'bout the dark or bein' on ma own neither" Daryl had always been told not to speak to strangers by his teachers at school but this lady didn't seem like a stranger, she seemed nice and friendly, like he'd always known her. He thought maybe he had seen her before.

"There's nothing at all to be scared of Daryl. Don't ever be scared child. You are a very special little boy and I think your best friend Beth knows that too" Erika was now smiling softly at Daryl, her voice almost hypnotic as she tried to instil some confidence and self-worth into the small boy in front of her.

Erika's heart broke at the sight before her but she refused to let her face or her voice betray the feelings of sorrow, sadness and pity that she felt every single time she thought about the life Daryl had to endure. Or when she thought about how she was powerless to change it.

"How d'ya know Beth's ma friend?" Daryl didn't understand at all how this lady knew his name or how she knew about Beth.

"I'm sorry Daryl. I should explain… my name is Erika and I know all about you. Don't be afraid of me child, I'm your friend and just know I will always be here. Just like Beth. She will always be here for you and you shouldn't be nervous or afraid to tell her __anything.__ Do you understand? She loves you very much Daryl and it's okay to tell her __everything__, she will understand and she will protect you. She will always be your best friend, no matter what" Erika knew she'd probably said too much but she couldn't just leave him all alone. She hadn't been able to help him escape his father so she was determined to stay with him until he reached Beth's house. Until he reached his safe place.

Erika didn't have the heart to let him suffer more than she knew he already would do over the next few years either. She needed him to have Beth, for him to know it was destiny for them to be together and if all she could do was tell him that, then that's what she would do. That and envelop him in her healing wings for a brief moment to try to ease the pain of his wounds.

Daryl was looking at the ground now, he was stood completely still as he thought hard. The ground seemed to move quickly, like when he watched the curb rush by in a blur from the car window. Then it came to him. He did know this lady.

"Hey, yer that lady from the bus stop ain't ya?" Daryl turned to look up at Erika but she'd already gone. Yes he did remember her, she was the lady from school last year, the lady that spoke to him and then was gone. Poof, just gone. And he remembered her funny way of talking. She didn't talk quickly and slurry like him. She spoke slowly and clearly just like she lived somewhere a long way away, like where James Bond was from. Yes he did remember her. And now she was gone again. Poof, just gone. He thought she must walk really fast, especially for a little lady. He liked her a lot though and he already felt a bit better.

Then Daryl looked up and he was at Hershel's barn. How did that happen? He'd only been walking for a few minutes hadn't he? Perhaps he got muddled, perhaps he was nearly at Beth's when Erika spoke to him? His cuts had been hurting so badly, maybe he'd walked a lot faster than he thought. In any case he was here now, he would go and get settled in the barn. Hide there for as long as possible.

Daryl spent the rest of the night, until daybreak, curled up on his side in their clubhouse armchair with a blanket over him. He didn't sleep because of the pain. It wasn't as bad as he'd been expecting it to be, not after the beating he'd taken. He was still sore but the throbbing and aching that always lasted for days just wasn't as bad this time. The blood was still there though, and the marks. He couldn't go to school today, he couldn't let Beth see him. He decided to stay in their stall for the rest of the day. He would try to sleep and he could eat the snacks and soda they kept in their little cooler. He would be okay. He didn't have to worry Beth about any of it. She wouldn't even notice he wasn't at school today he thought to himself, pleased at keeping Beth away from the nastiness that was his life.

In and out of sleeping Daryl thought on what Erika had said to him. He still didn't know how she knew so much about him but he wanted desperately to believe her when she told him Beth would understand because she loves him. That couldn't be true though, no one loved Daryl Dixon, especially not a kind, happy, pretty blonde haired angel like Beth Greene. Erika must be lying or just plain stupid! Maybe his mom sometimes loved him, when she could remember she had a son. And maybe Merle too, but he hardly ever saw his older brother so he definitely didn't feel loved by him.

It was true Daryl felt emotions he'd never known before when he was around the Greene family. He felt at his happiest at their house, he felt safe and like he wasn't alone. Maybe that was love, maybe that was how it was supposed to feel with his own momma and pa. All he knew was that he couldn't ever let anyone know what went on at his house or else that would be the end. It would all disappear. Poof. Just like that lady Erika had. And he wasn't ever losing Beth, so he would just keep quiet.

It got to around 3.30 p.m. and Daryl knew Beth would be home from school soon, so he decided to stay put and carry on hiding and then run back to his house later, when it got dark. He could hide and watch to see when his pa went out and then creep in.

Just as Daryl was planning his getaway he heard tiny footsteps entering the barn, scuffing around in the hay. His heart started to pound. He knew it must be Beth so he sat up and found a gap in the stall door so he could watch her, make sure she didn't come over.

He watched her pick up the pail of chicken feed and go out to the barnyard. His heart slowed as he thought she might leave now and he could stay undiscovered in their little house. But then she came back and she looked sad. What was she sad about? Then he noticed she'd been crying too. Why had Beth been crying? Perhaps someone from school had picked on her, made her upset and he hadn't been there. He was so useless he couldn't even stop his best friend from getting upset. Maybe something happened to her pa? He wished he could ask her what was wrong. He felt awful for leaving her alone today just for something bad to have happened.

Then Beth sat down on a hay bale and started to cry, proper crying like he'd never seen her do before, only his momma cried like that. Beth never cried and he was so mad at whoever had upset her he almost opened the stall door and hugged her. He stopped himself. She wouldn't want him to touch her, not when he was so ugly and dirty and bruised, but just as he was about to change his mind and open the door anyway, Beth started to talk. She wasn't talking at him though, she didn't know he was here. He listened to the words as his heart started to beat faster and he felt queasy again.

Beth was praying. She was praying that he was alright and that he was safe. She was asking God to bring him back to her because he was her best friend ever and she loved him. Daryl started to cry as the words echoed in his head, silent happy tears as Beth's words and Erika's words whirled in his head making him dizzy. He laid back on the chair and pulled the blanket over himself as he thought perhaps Beth __would__ understand and Erika had been right.

Then he heard tiny footsteps again and saw Beth's hand poke over the top of the stall as she undid the latch. He squeezed his eyes shut and hoped he might turn invisible.

**Beth's POV**

Beth reached up above her head and released the latch to the stall door. She was shocked to find Daryl in there, curled up sideways in one of the old armchairs. It wasn't cold but he had covered himself with one of their blankets and it looked like he was sleeping. All she could see was his eyes above the blanket and they were closed tightly.

Beth was overjoyed that her prayer had worked and couldn't help but start babbling at him. "Daryl! There ya are! Why weren't you at school? I was so worried. Ms. Talbot wouldn't call to check on ya. You never miss school! Daddy and me called when we got home but we couldn't get ya but then he wouldn't take me to your house to see ya. Why didn't ya go to school? Are ya sick?... Daryl?"

Beth had reached over and was going to shake him awake. As soon as she touched him, though, he whimpered and pulled away from her. "What's wrong? You are sick again, aren't you, Daryl?"

Daryl's voice was barely audible. "Just go away Beth. Lemme alone."

"Don't be silly. What's wrong with ya?" Beth climbed up in the chair beside Daryl and just waited. Sometimes he was like this, so she was used to it. He'd think real hard about something before he'd answer her.

"I don't…you won't be my friend any more if I tell ya'." Beth could see that Daryl looked like he was gonna cry and he was holding the blanket up in front of him like it was a shield. He looked afraid, but that wasn't like him. Daryl Dixon wasn't afraid of anything as far as Beth knew. He was like a superhero. He even caught snakes with his bare hands in the garden!

"Of course I'll still be yer friend! Why wouldn't I – just because yer sick? That's silly."

"Ain't sick! You don't get it! Just go away!" He almost shouted at her as he choked back a sob. In his sudden outburst, Daryl dropped the blanket he'd been holding onto and Beth couldn't help but gasp. Daryl was wearing his white sleeveless undershirt and it allowed Beth to see his arms and neck were a patchwork of dark purple bruises and raw red angry looking marks and there was blood on his shirt, but she didn't see where it came from before Daryl snatched the blanket back up around him.

He wouldn't look at her. He was crying now, but Beth noticed it wasn't like when she cried. Daryl cried silently, tears rolling down his face before he wiped at them stubbornly with the blanket.

Beth didn't know what to say or do. Her pure little mind just couldn't understand what this was about and she was thinking as hard as she could trying to find an answer. Did he fall down and get hurt? Beth had done that before – fell off the end of the porch and 'bout broke her leg. She had a big bruise on her butt and a cut along one knee. Daryl would have had to fallen off something much higher than a porch to get hurt like he was. And Daryl looked so sad, like he'd done something wrong. Like he lost his best friend.

Daryl sniffed loudly. "Yer never quiet. I knew ya wouldn't wanna be ma friend no more."

"What are ya talkin' about? Of course I'm still yer friend. There ya go bein' silly again. Oh! I know what's wrong! Daddy told us not to be climbin' on those trees by the creek. You climbed one and fell out didn't ya? We don't hafta stop bein' friends! Don't worry, Daryl. I just won't tell Daddy what happened and then we won't get in trouble. It'll be our secret." Beth gave Daryl her brightest smile to try to let him know that this was ok. He did look a little more hopeful.

"Our secret? And ya still wanna be ma friend?" Daryl asked carefully.

"Yeah! I'll pinky swear." Beth held up her little finger to Daryl so she could make it official. Daryl just looked at her again, thinking.

"Beth?... If I told ya what really happened, would you still pinky swear not ta tell? I mean nobody. Ever."

"Well…yeah. Yer my best friend in the whole wide world Daryl. Of course I won't tell."

Daryl lowered the blanket and reached out to take Beth's pinky with his and they shook on it. Merle woulda told him that pinky swearin' was for girls, but Daryl didn't care. He knew with Beth it meant whatever she said was written in stone forever. That's just the way she was. He opened his mouth to tell her, but he didn't know how to say it. How do you tell your best friend that you're so useless and stupid your own pa doesn't like you?

"My pa ain't like yers. He's real strict. I try ta stay outta his way, but sometimes I'm just stupid an' I mess up. Last night…I needed ta get a drink a water. I knew he was sleepin' an' I tried ta be quiet, but I knocked over some beer bottles an' woke 'im up. He was real mad. I shoulda been more careful. Shoulda just waited about gettin' water."

"Daryl, ya mean yer daddy did this to ya on purpose? For gettin' a drink of water?"

"Naw. Fer wakin' 'im up. I know I'm supposed ta be quiet when he's sleepin'. It was my fault."

Beth's tender heart couldn't comprehend what this was all about. She woke her daddy up all the time to check for boogeymen in the closet, whenever she had a nightmare, and even if she needed a drink of water in the middle of the night. She was seven after all. She couldn't go down in the dark kitchen and reach it herself. Neither could Daryl, right? Beth was just so confused.

"Ya pinky swore not ta tell anyone ever! I don't want anybody knowin' how stupid I am. It's…embarrasin'. I wish I could just not ever go back. If I could make my own rules, I could break 'em whenever I wanted to and there wouldn't be any punishments."

"I promised and I'll keep it. Cross my heart and hope to die… but Daryl? Don't be mad, but I don't think that's right. Daddy's aren't supposed to do that I don't think. They're supposed to cuddle and hug ya and kiss yer booboos… Not cause 'em." Beth's eyes were big and round and swimming with tears again as she looked over the horrifying marks on his arms and neck. They must really hurt. She just couldn't imagine her momma or daddy ever hurting her like that. She was pretty sure they wouldn't ever let anyone hurt her like that.

Daryl just shrugged. "I dunno." He'd thought about it before, that maybe this wasn't how it was supposed to be, but it was just how it was. And if it wasn't right, there wasn't anything he could do about it. He was only seven and small and useless. He had to admit, though, that he felt better now that he had told his best friend what happened. It felt…easier somehow.

"Daryl, why's there blood on yer shirt?"

Daryl shrugged and pulled the blanket back up around him, lookin' at Beth warily. "It ain't anythin'. It'll be fine."

"We have a first aid kit, Daryl. I can get ya a band aid!" Beth was out of their chair and rummaging around under one of the shelves along the wall. Daryl couldn't help but smile just a little at Beth's eagerness to get him a band aid. It was… different. Nobody ever tripped over themselves to do anything nice for him like Beth did. It made him feel good, even if he knew a band aid wouldn't help much.

She was back standing in front of him with the first aid kit open in a flash. Just looking at him and waiting. "Well, let me see. I watch my daddy patch up animals all the time. I'll do good at it! Let me see."

Daryl was back to looking sad…and embarrassed, but he figured he might as well let her see this too. "This is part of the secret, too, ok?"

"O…Okay. But I don't understand."

Daryl laid the blanket down and stood up. He looked at Beth for a minute, hoping that this wasn't going to change her mind about keeping his secret. Then he turned around and showed Beth the worst of it. Pa had been especially angry last night because Merle had done made 'im mad earlier in the day. Daryl had gotten the belt harder than he ever remembered it and he knew this one was going to leave several scars clear across his back. He didn't think they was bleeding anymore, at least.

He looked at Beth over his shoulder. She was just staring at the marks horrified, still holding up the first aid kit.

"Beth? I know it's ugly. M'sorry."

Beth cleared her throat and shook her head at Daryl as one lone tear fell. She tried to give him a reassuring smile, but she didn't think it made it all the way to her face. "It's… I can put some peroxide and gauze on it. It'll…be ok."

Daryl removed the shirt carefully and sat backward in the chair so Beth could clean the marks. She didn't think she could be more horrified, but now she was. Along with being able to see all of the marks left over from his recent beating, Beth could see older scars marring Daryl's skin. How long has this being going on?

The more she thought about it, the more distraught Beth got. And angry, which wasn't like her. But this was her best friend and someone was hurting him for no good reason! Beth just didn't know what to do. Again, she was so small and helpless and weak that there wasn't anything she could do. She managed to finish patching him up the best she knew how, but she couldn't help the tears welling up. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Daryl, just don't go back. It ain't fair!" She couldn't help it, but she was sobbing now.

Daryl turned back around in the chair and looked at her a little lost. He didn't know what to do with a crying girl. Beth got mad sometimes, but she didn't ever cry, not until today. She was always happy. "I hafta go back, Beth. My pa'll be real mad if I don't and then it'll be worse."

"You can come live with me. I bet momma and daddy will let you. Or you can live here in our clubhouse! Anythin'! Daryl, just don't go back there. It scares me! Please?!" Beth had thrown her little arms around the boy, trying to be mindful of his raw marks, but needing to hold on to her best friend. To shield him and soothe both him and herself.

Hugging? Nobody but his momma had ever hugged Daryl and even his momma hadn't done so in years. He thought nobody would ever hug him again. It felt nice and he didn't even hardly feel the belt marks now. What felt even better was Beth's concern. It made him feel like he wasn't alone and that was a real good feeling, like being superman.

She couldn't see it, but Daryl gave Beth the sweetest smile and sighed. "There's nothin' to be afraid of. I think everythin's gonna be ok." The thing was, Daryl really believed that now. As long as he had his best friend, he was pretty sure he could handle anything.


	3. Chapter 3: Pain

**The Hunger**

**Chapter Three - Pain**

_...He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and **with fire**... Matthew 3:11_

**Sarah's Dixon's POV**

**Monday October 31****st**** 1994. Senoia, GA. Noon.**

The world was hazy. It always was. It was better that way. Smoky and dull and muted. Seeing clear only meant experiencing ugly hatefulness and vile brutality. Even good things were tainted in this purgatory. Sarah Dixon knew beauty once, and peace and hope and purity. But those days were long gone. She had made a mistake. Now she was paying for it and her little boys were paying for it. She didn't ask God for forgiveness either. She wasn't worthy of such. She deserved the hell she had landed herself in. She deserved it for what she'd done to her babies – trapping them here in filth and misery.

"Momma!" Her sweet Daryl's voice echoed in Sarah's head as it rolled back against the couch. She remembered thinking of him before he had ever come into this world when he was still growing inside her. Hopes for a beautiful little boy, happy and healthy. Dreams of him playing in the back yard, building forts with his brother. Grinning. Happy. She'd thought of Merle, too. Handsome and successful, grinning at her as he played in a yard full of his own lovely children. "Momma!" Sarah didn't have dreams like that anymore, though. She only had nightmares. Living nightmares. She was wretched and weak. Her children were miserable and injured – inside and out. She knew this life would end for all of them in pain and brutal violence and hopelessness. There was no hope for them, only despair.

"Momma, are you awake?" Daryl's hand on her face brought Sarah around a bit, but just enough to realize he was actually talking to her. "Go on outside and play, baby."

"No momma, ya gotta wake up! Beth's momma said you should come to their Halloween barbecue tonight. Yer gonna go ain't ya? You'll like em, momma. They're real nice, Beth's parents. And they always have pie for desert. Pumpkin pie tonight, Momma…"

"Baby, shh, shh, momma's tired now. Go on sweet thing. Just go play."

"MOMMA ya gotta get up!" Daryl was tugging at her arm now. Sarah couldn't ignore the pain and it brought her out of her stupor. That was her needle arm and his jerking it was aggravating the ache that was always there. Sarah sat forward and shook her head. "What's wrong angel?"

"Ya just gotta get up momma. Somethin' bad'll happen today if ya don't." She felt Daryl's sweet little fingers on her face. He was only ten years old and still had all that sweetness of tender adolescence about him that always soothed Sarah better than any drug. But her boy's love made things clearer and Sarah just couldn't bear to see what their lives had become anymore. She just couldn't.

Sarah could just make out Daryl's tearstained little face through the haze of the H&M concoction she'd had earlier. "Why ya cryin, Daryl? Yer daddy hurt ya? Come 'ere." Sarah tried to clear her eyes so she could see if her boy was hurt or how bad. Her hands on his shoulders let her know her boy was too thin, too small. So small for such a huge hateful world.

"I ain't hurt, momma. Ya just need ta get up and get out of the house. Come with me to Beth's!"

Daryl started rambling on about the farm he liked to play at and the food Annette Greene always cooked and about what game he and Beth had played yesterday. Sarah loved to hear her sons talk at her. It was peaceful, one of the little peaceful parts this world had to offer her. When Merle was around he'd tell her funny stories and hold her hand. And Daryl… oh, sweet Daryl was like a voice from heaven to Sarah's ears. She loved them so, her sweet little boys. The ones whose lives she'd ruined with that vile man.

Sarah had the sudden need to explain to her son how sorry she was for being sad. Sorry for what she'd done – trapping them here in this hellhole, not being able to get them out. Her beautiful boys had always deserved better than this. They were supposed to have better than this. It wasn't fair to them and it was her fault for not being stronger, smarter, or more capable.

"Daryl." She stopped him midsentence. "Hand momma her cigarettes and come sit with me a minute." Daryl ran and got them for her like the good boy he was and she lit one up, savoring the sweet rush of the nicotine. "Daryl? You know momma loves ya." She wanted to tell him so much. Explain everything, but she couldn't. The only thing that would come from her were tears.

"Momma, why ya cryin? Did ya see what I seen about the fire? Did ya dream it too?" Sarah didn't remember anything about a fire but the drugs had her confused. The only fire she thought about was hell-fire and she knew she was going to burn at the devil's side someday. Surely as the sun rises. But Daryl wouldn't know anything about that. He probably just had a nightmare or maybe one of the neighbors houses had burned. If it had, she probably slept through all the drama.

"Don't worry, baby. Everythin's gonna be fine. Momma's just sad sometimes. Someday when I'm not so tired I'll come out and play with ya. But I'm just worn out, Daryl, and I can't now. I'm so sorry baby. I know ya don't understand right now but I done some bad things. Yer daddy's mean but… it's all my fault Daryl. I deserve it and he takes it out on you. I wish I could take ya away but we don't have nowhere ta go."

Daryl didn't know what to say to his mother. He'd never heard her say so much at one time. She cried all the time, but she rarely talked. Not that he could remember. But he was confused. His momma didn't do anything bad. She didn't do anything at all but sleep and cry and try to keep pa from hurting him when she could.

Daryl reached out and wiped his mother's tears away but more just kept falling from her pretty eyes. Her eyes never looked right but they were still beautiful even if they were always red and puffy. Daryl bet if she didn't cry so much they'd be as bright blue and crystal clear as the sky. Daryl didn't understand why his momma was always so confused. He reckoned it was his pa's fault. He was always yelling at her that she was stupid and calling her names that Daryl didn't understand. His pa confused him, too. All the time. Hurt him and hurt his feelings. That's all that was wrong with his momma.

"I'm so sorry Daryl. Momma is so sorry. I wish I could take it all back. Change everything and give ya a better life, but I can't."

"It's alright momma! Ya didn't do anything bad. Daddy just likes to say mean things, but Beth says he lies. Beth says I'm not stupid or bad and neither are you. And even if ya was I'd still love ya. But ya ain't! I promise! Don't cry no more momma. Please?"

Sarah's vision was getting too clear. She needed a new fix to dull the pain and stop the inevitable shakes and feel of reality that she hated so much when she was awake. "I love you too, Daryl." Sarah pulled him in for a quick kiss to the forehead. The look of pure bliss on her son's face hurt so badly. She would have given him more kisses, but Will didn't like it. And it wasn't fair to the boy to give him affection knowing it might make him long for more. Like the drugs Sarah used to forget the horrible life she lived. No, affection would make her boy weak, so it was best to leave it off. "Now listen, I want ya to go out and play so I can sleep a bit. Don't be out too late. Ya know how yer pa hates that."

"But momm…"

"No, Daryl. You heard me. Go on, now." Sarah turned her son by his shoulders and nudged him toward the door. She saw the fear in his eyes as he looked back at her from the doorway, but he was a good boy and did as he was told.

Sarah stumbled to the kitchen cupboard and took down the bottle of wine she knew was there. Will Dixon might be a bastard but he was good at keeping the liquor stocked, at least. She downed a handful of assorted pills and drank directly from the bottle. She started to put the bottle back on the shelf but changed her mind at the last minute. It would be too much trouble to come get it later. She took her cigarettes and the liquor back to the bedroom and laid back to forget all the pity and all the wretched disdain she had for herself. Sarah sighed in relief as the hazy high washed back over her. It seemed thicker this time, more murky but that wasn't a bad thing, was it?

When Sarah woke, everything was beautiful around her. Swirling white smoke made shapes about her like billowing clouds in heaven. Fire raced all around her in little tendrils, licking the walls, curtains, the bedspread, floors, and ceiling. It wasn't hot, though. The fire didn't touch her, which was strange. Then she realized there was a figure stood at the end of her bed. A beautiful blonde golden-winged angel, tall and somber.

The fire surrounding the two women seemed to close in, the flames reflecting wildly in the angel's eyes and in the golden glow of her wings. Sarah suddenly understood. Her life had come to an end and her day of judgment was at hand. Sarah felt nothing but relief. Now she would finally get her deserved punishment. Maybe now her boys could be free from her curse. Maybe The State would come and take Daryl to a better home away from Will Dixon. The angel spoke to her in a beautiful peaceful voice full of understanding, it was a concept unfamiliar to poor Sarah. "You expect damnation, Sarah. But you are not forsaken. You never have been. You were blind and you did this to yourself but all you have to do is ask forgiveness and God will take you back. Take my hand Sarah. Come let me wash away this darkness."

The Dixon house succumbed to the fire and smoke. A billowing inferno. When it was done all that was left was a smoldering ruin and silent desolation. And one broken hearted little boy left to look on from the lawn, wondering if he could have done more to save his mother.

**Daryl's POV**

**Monday October 31****st**** 1994. Senoia, GA. 4 p.m.**

Daryl was sat on the lawn outside his house. He'd been sat there for a long time just staring through blurry eyes and thinking with a muddled mind. His brain and heart hurting in equal parts. He didn't ever want to move from this spot, he didn't ever want to leave his momma.

His knees were pulled tightly into his chest, his chin trembling as he rocked back and forth in an effort to soothe himself. Silent tears trickled freely down his cheeks, soaking into the dirty stained material of his pants. What Daryl saw before him wasn't the house he'd walked away from only four hours ago. That house had been happy for a moment. His momma was talking at him, she told him she loved him, she held him and kissed him. That happy house wasn't there now, it was gone... there was no love, no momma. Just a burned out sad shell. A smoking, black, charred pile of rubble and ash. A nothing. And his precious momma was part of that pile of nothing. She was gone, burned up, taken into the sky, along with every other thing Daryl had ever known in his ten years of life. All except Beth. He still had Beth but she wasn't here now. This very second he was alone, utterly alone and he knew then it was all his fault. Daryl knew his pa had been right when he called him useless and stupid. Daryl had seen it. He'd seen the fire raging, orange flames dancing around his momma's room and black smoke twisting high into the sky, but he hadn't taken his momma away from it. He hadn't tried hard enough because he was too weak and he didn't understand anything.

Daryl's tears came faster now as he thought about how it was his fault he would never see his momma again, his body started to shake uncontrollably under his sobbing. He closed his eyes so he didn't have to look at it, to look at what he'd done to his poor, sweet momma.

_Daryl expected an empty darkness as he closed his eyes, he expected to see nothing and to be able to escape from this nightmare; from the flames, the smoke and the pain. But instead of darkness it was bright, an intense bright white light that kept on growing stronger. He wasn't in his pa's yard anymore, he was walking along a pavement. There were bright neon signs above him and a storm raging overhead, heavy rain soaking him to the skin. He turned into an alley and saw her, she was older but he knew who it was instantly, she was beautiful. Even though her hair was wet and stained red it was long and blonde and curly just like always. She was drenched through__,__ her torn clothes covered in blood. She lay unmoving on the ground, he called her name but she didn't answer. He walked closer to her, knelt and stroked her cheek, gently saying her name again. She was cold and pale and sad, splattered with blood, her pretty blue eyes staring up at him blankly. There was blood; so much blood, it was all around her, on the wall, on the floor, on her body. It changed red to pink as the raindrops came down heavy and fast, diluting it as it flowed under his feet, soaked into his clothes, trickled under his fingers._

_She was dead… everything slowed down as reality set in, his heart pounding. He screamed but it was a silent, useless cry. No one heard him, no one came to help. He turned to look for someone, anyone but when he turned back, she was gone. All that remained where her body once lay were puddles of blood and a nametag that shimmered gold in the light of the neon glow. A nametag that read 'Beth'. Daryl screamed again. He couldn't bear to see anymore, he wanted to run, he wanted to wake up from this hideous nightmare. It was his momma that was dead, not Beth. How could he think that? What was wrong with him to imagine such awful things? His pa was right, he was sick and twisted and bad. Everything was his fault. He didn't want Beth to be hurt, he loved her, she was his best friend, why did he see such horrible pictures? He squeezed his eyes closed again to try and rid his mind of the darkness that lived there. _

"Daryl? Daryl!... come on sweetheart. Look away from that, now." Daryl realized that he was wrapped in a tight loving embrace. For a moment he thought it was his momma and she had gotten out of the house before the fire got to her. But it wasn't his momma. He was being held so tight it almost hurt and he couldn't look up to see a face, but this woman had brown hair. It was pretty, brunette mixed with blonde and red, shining in the sunlight as her soft locks surrounded him. Daryl decided he didn't care who this person was, he just wanted anyone to hold him right now. The feeling of solace and pure relief that her hold brought him eased the achy sickness that was flowing through him just moments ago. He squeezed his eyes shut again and burrowed his way further against the soft warmth of this woman's embrace. He heard her voice, but he couldn't really make out what she was saying to him now. He thought she might have been praying, but he wasn't sure. He'd only ever seen people praying on that TV show momma sometimes watched on Sundays when pa was gone and Daryl didn't really know how that whole prayer thing worked anyway.

It was a little hard to breathe under the tight grasp of the lady that was holding him, but Daryl took as deep a breath as he could and felt himself relax despite all the sadness and panic inside him. With each passing moment, the vision of the fire and, worse, the vision of Beth he'd had seemed to be pushed away like a bad dream that you could just forget about when you woke up. Daryl wasn't waking up, though. He was so sleepy and comfortable all of a sudden. A peaceful sleep fell over him as he rested in the comforting embrace of whoever it was that had him. He drifted into a silent dreamless place as his mind and body eased at least for a few moments.

**Merle Dixon's POV **

Merle parked his truck catty-cornered on the street in front of his childhood home and sat for a moment as he watched the firefighters finish up on the smoldering mess that was left. Merle's thoughts raced. He knew his mother hardly left that home and she was drunk and/or high 24 hours a day, so he was pretty sure she didn't make it. He hoped that his bastard father was so drunk out of his mind that he didn't have the good sense to get up and leave before the smoke got him, but Merle was sure there wasn't enough luck in the world for that outcome. The thing that finally got Merle moving was the thought of Daryl. Was he in there? Was he hurt? Was he... _Jesus, please no_.

Merle threw the door open and strode toward the house intent on asking one of the firefighters about his family. He didn't see the woman at first and almost fell over her. How he hadn't seen her to begin with was beyond him. Merle thought maybe he was just in more shock than he thought. There was a small brunette on her knees in the front yard, beautiful hair shining in the sun and blowing in the breeze. She had huge eyes so blue they made you think they were glowing. And she was fierce-looking. Her gaze on the burning ruins was one of pure contempt, as if that fire had injured her personally somehow. Then Merle realized that she was holding Daryl. She was holding him so tight to her that Merle was sure the boy was a little blue from a lack of oxygen.

"Hey! That's my brother! Who're you?!" No answer. "Hey lady! Daryl?" He was still getting no response from either of them. It was like they were frozen or something. Merle decided he would just take his brother from her. As soon as he made a move, though, the woman's eyes turned on him and Merle couldn't help but take a few involuntary steps back. The intensity of the gaze and the fearless protective tenor of the emotion behind it made Merle want to cower or run, though he didn't know why. Merle opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He wanted to tell her that that was his brother, he wanted to know he was ok, give him here now, or something. Merle wasn't sure what to say or do, though. Not really. So he just stood there helpless, looking from the fire to his brother.

The woman's eyes softened on Merle in a moment and she blinked like she just woke from a trance. Merle watched as she looked down at Daryl and softly stroked his tearstained cheek. The mysterious woman kissed his head and stood suddenly with Daryl still held tightly in her arms. "Take him, Merle. He's not injured, not physically. He needs you now. He'll need Beth, too. Here... take him."

She was offering Daryl to him and he took his brother in his arms hesitantly. Now that the panic was easing from knowing his brother wasn't hurt, Merle was confused about what happens next. "What am I supposed to do?" The woman just looked at him strangely and turned her head, but gave him no answer. Merle looked down at the boys dirty sleeping face, so peaceful, and felt a swell of emotions that he usually didn't allow for himself. Pain, sadness, regret, shame, uselessness... and he couldn't help his eyes watering as he felt panic start to rise in him. This time, for whole new reasons. He looked up to ask the woman who she was, thank her for helping... but she was already gone. She was probably some neighbor retreated back to the safety of her own home, Merle thought. Shit, what was he supposed to do now?

"Daryl? Daryl?... open yer eyes lil' bro', it's gonna be alright." Daryl was suddenly pulled from the peaceful stillness of sleep by the sensation of large arms holding him loosely. It was Merle, he'd come back. The youngest Dixon had never been so happy to see his big brother.

"Merle yer here!" Daryl looked up at his brother through teary blurred vision and sucked in a deep breath as his small body shuddered under the weight of reality once again. "Momma's dead Merle, she ain't never comin' back and it's all ma fault. I'm sorry Merle…I killed momma. She wouldn't come when I asked her. She shoulda come out with me, so we coulda gone ta Beth's parents' house, she'd a' been safe there. She said she was tired and ta leave 'er alone, and I jus' left her Merle. I shoulda made her, I saw the fire, I knew. I left her alone and now she's dead 'cause a' me" Daryl spoke quickly, his words rambling as if in a panic. He flung his arms around his brother and held on tightly, as though he was the life raft Daryl had been waiting for.

Merle wrapped his arms round the small boy and hugged him close. He had no idea what to say to him to try to comfort him. He was distraught himself. He might not have been around too much but he loved his mom. He might have hated his evil, bastard of a pa, but he loved his mom even if she was pretty useless at most things, he knew she at least tried. He was old enough now to understand it was all his father's doing and that she was only broken and weak because of Will, and that she only stayed for the sake of her two boys. He knew she could have just left, got up and gone, leaving them with that evil bastard to save herself, but she didn't. She stayed and she tried to shield them from Will as much as she could. He loved her for that if nothing else. Merle knew Daryl would take it badly. He was close to his momma, Merle saw how his little brother doted on her. He saw how he tried to take care of her, instead of it being the other way around. It broke his heart truth be told, but what could he do about it? Merle was about as much use as his good for nothing pa.

Merle had no clue what to do about any of it in fact. He didn't want to leave Daryl with his pa, on his own, but he couldn't take him with him either. Merle was a drifter, sleeping where he could, picking up work where he could and barely surviving. But whatever his life was, he knew it was better than coming back to live with his pa. One of them would have committed murder for sure. And as much as Merle hated the old bastard, he wouldn't do time for him, neither did he relish the thought of letting his pa send him to an early grave. It was best all round if Merle kept out of the picture. He just hoped Daryl would understand and be okay. Maybe the Greene's would help him. He knew his little brother spent all his time with the Greene girl. Maybe that would be enough to save him. That and the fact Will would be out of the house or drunk most of the time so unable to beat on Daryl too much. That's where the evil bastard was now Merle supposed. Drinking. Well wouldn't he just get the shock of his life when he returned home to find his favorite armchair turned to ash and his liquor stash evaporated. Merle knew his pa would care more about that than the fact his wife was dead and his son gone.

It was pure coincidence Merle was even back in Senoia. It was one of his pals Birthday celebrations tonight, some massive house party and Merle just couldn't resist. He never was one for turning down free booze, women and drugs… or a place to crash for the night. And he did like to see Daryl when he could as well. He just wasn't expecting to find his momma dead. Well, not dead from burning anyhow. He'd always had a feeling she might one day overdose and just quietly slip away. At this moment he couldn't help but think that would have been preferable to what he was looking at now, a whole lifetime gone up in flames, a life wasted and a damaged little boy who thought it was all his fault. He hoped she was at peace now at least, she deserved that after twenty years of Will Dixon and his cruelty.

Merle sat his brother back down on his feet and shook him gently by the shoulders. "Hey now lil' bro', ain't none a' this yer fault. What'cha talkin' rubbish for, huh?" Merle tried to soothe the boy, rubbing his hand around Daryl's face to wipe away the tears and make him look at him.

"Is ma fault! I saw it and she wouldn't come. Why wouldn't she come, Merle?" Daryl was frantic and Merle had no idea what to do with him.

"Daryl, it ain't yer fault. Momma jus' fell asleep. Ain't no one's fault. Jus' happened is all. Fires jus' happen sometimes." Merle sounded sterner now. He tried to smile at Daryl but his own tears were flowing freely now too. His heart was breaking, both for the loss of his mom and the fact his little brother thought he was to blame.

"Can I come with ya Merle? I don't wanna stay with pa, not on ma own. Please. I won't be any trouble! Promise." Daryl suddenly sounded hopeful and at that moment Merle knew he had to leave. He had to leave right now before he made it worse for the boy.

"Yunno ya ain't allowed ta stay wit' me don'cha Daryl? I ain't got a proper house or job and the state won't let ya. Yer gotta stay wit' pa. But yunno I'd take ya if I could though don'cha?" Merle wiped away his own tears and pulled Daryl up tight to his chest and held onto him for a long time.

"C'mon, Imma take ya ta Beth's…that's 'er name ain't it? Yer friend at the farm?" Merle gently pushed Daryl away from him and pulled them both up, grabbing hold of Daryl's hand and leading him to his truck.

"What about momma though Merle? I don't wanna leave her on her own. She ain't got anyone else." Daryl pulled on his brother's hand and looked at him, his eyes red, and swimming with a lifetimes worth of tears.

"Daryl, she's gone now… but she ain't on 'er own. She's in heaven, she's got plenty a' friends now. She's happy now 'cause pa ain't there to call 'er names and bully 'er. I know yer gonna miss 'er but she's better off where she is. And yer a big boy now Daryl, ya got Beth and her momma and daddy ta look out for ya. Yer got school and ya do real well there, don' cha? Better than 'ole Merle ever did, that's for sure. Yer gonna be jus' fine. An' I'll stop by ta see ya when I can. But ya need ta go to Beth's now. I dunno where pa is but if anyone finds ya 'ere on yer own they'll take ya into custody. You'll be okay at Beth's for now."

"Are ya sure momma's gonna be happy now? Are ya sure they're nice people where she is, in heaven?" Daryl sounded sceptical, but ever hopeful that his poor momma was finally going to be happy and stop all her crying.

"Sure they are. The nicest people anywhere. She's gonna be real happy now and yer gonna be jus' fine too… better than fine…as soon as we get ya ta the farm." Merle lifted Daryl up and plonked him down in the passenger seat of his beat up old truck as he tried not to let anymore tears fall in front of his young brother.

Merle drove the short way to the Greene farm, Daryl giving him instructions since Merle had never been there before. They didn't speak again though, not about Sarah or Will or anything. Merle knew his little brother would be looked after for the time being at least, by good people, and that helped soothe his conscience about leaving him. Merle didn't know how to console and look after a ten year old that had just lost his momma, shit he barely knew how to take care of himself. Merle needed to step back and soothe his own grief by getting shit faced and staying that way for as long as he could. Maybe then when he woke up things would be better.

Merle pulled up to the front of the farm house, turned off the engine and walked to Daryl's side of the truck to help him down. Daryl wasn't crying anymore and Merle thought that was a good sign. They didn't need to knock. The whole Greene clan were already hovering around the porch and shooting sad knowing glances towards Daryl and Merle. None were moving faster than Beth though, who smashed the world record 200 meter sprint to get to Daryl before anybody else could. She flung herself around her friend so hard and fast it launched him backwards into the truck door. Daryl had never ever been hugged that hard before, he could hardly catch his breath, but he closed his eyes and curled his arms around his beautiful friend and clung on to her just as hard anyway. He suddenly didn't feel quite so alone.

Merle couldn't help but chuckle at just the cutest thing he'd ever seen. Immediately he knew he'd done the right thing and Daryl was going to be just fine. He might have to suffer an occasional beating from pa but he was going to have more love than Merle had ever known, or probably would ever know. His guilt at being such a bad brother was momentarily eased, and he knew once he got out of here he was going to take as many pills as he could to ease it for even longer. To forget his own pain, to forget he was all alone in this world and that it was nothing less than he deserved for being too weak and selfish to help his mom and his brother and stand up to his pa.

"Merle isn't it? I'm Hershel, Beth's father. We're all real sorry to hear about your momma, son. Terrible and so sad. If there's anythin' we can ever do, ya only have to ask." Hershel took hold of Merle's hand, shaking it slightly before gripping it between both his hands in the kindest gesture Merle had ever known from a stranger.

"Thank ya but I gotta leave. I jus' need ta know Daryl's gonna be okay 'fore I do. He's taken it real hard… thinks it's his fault mom's dead. 'course it ain't, but poor boy needs some reassurin'. Pa'll be drunk somewhere, stupid shit don't even know yet his house 'n wife are gone. I was hopin' ya folks might look out for him for a while? We ain't got any other family an' I ain't sure he's got any other pals 'cept yer Beth neither."

"Daryl knows he's welcome here whenever he wants Merle, for as long as he wants, he always has been…. And by the looks of Bethy here, she ain't lettin' Daryl outta her sight anytime soon." Hershel looked towards the two dear children still embracing by the side of the truck and gave a small smile to Merle. "He'll be safe here with us, we'll look after him. Ya don't need to worry son… we won't let anything happen to him. He can stay as long as it takes for your pa to get sorted."

Merle wanted to say that their bastard pa would never be sorted, not until he was dead. That's all the evil old bastard deserved. But he didn't, he kept quiet as he looked over at the rest of the Greene's. They were stood back slightly on the porch still, Beth's momma and brother and sister. They looked nice, they looked genuinely concerned and upset. Truthfully Merle could've stayed here too. They were proper good people, a family, and he knew from just that one glance that they'd accepted Daryl as one of their own a long time ago. That was all he needed to see.

"Hey lil' bro', ya gonna put lil' blondie over there down and come say g'bye ta 'ole Merle?" Merle was trying his hardest to put a brave face on, for his sake as much as Daryl's. Daryl reluctantly pulled away from Beth to look at his brother, tears immediately springing to his eyes again.

Daryl walked back over to Merle, who was now crouched down on one knee waiting to say goodbye to his little brother.

"I gotta make tracks Daryl, I got places ta be." Merle grabbed hold of Daryl and pulled him into a hug before whispering to him. "Ya don't want Merle 'ere gettin' in yer way now do ya?... not when ya got a nice new family. And there's a pretty lil' blonde thang over there waitin' for ya. Why don'cha go take her to the barn and play one a' them games ya were always tellin' momma 'bout, huh?" Daryl squeezed his brother tightly for long time, more tears falling from his already red and puffy eyes, before Merle stood up and quickly turned to walk back to his truck. He couldn't take anymore, he had to leave.

"Love ya Merle." Daryl shouted after his brother, he didn't care that everyone was watching and listening. Merle was the only part of his momma he had left now.

"Me too, little brother. Now git, go on. And don't be gettin' under the feet a' these good people here, ya understand?" Merle didn't turn around, he couldn't. He got into the truck, started her up and slowly rolled forward, before turning his head to the Greene's and giving them a small nod and smile in gratitude. He turned back to the steering wheel, took in a deep breath and put his foot to the floor, leaving the farm and his brother behind. Watching as they disappeared from his rear view mirror.

**Daryl's POV**

"Daddy can me and Daryl go and play in the barn now? I wanna show him that new game ya bought me." Beth looked at her father through sad eyes, her voice quiet and devoid of all its usual cheerful happiness. Hershel's heart was breaking and he just wanted to pick the poor unfortunate little boy up and hug him. He knew that would have to wait, Daryl only needed his friend now, he didn't need another adult talking at him. He needed to play with Beth and do normal things to take his mind off his momma.

"Yes Bethy, 'course ya can. You two go and play and I'll call ya when supper's ready." Hershel looked at the two children, Beth had already taken hold of Daryl's hand and had started to drag him towards the barn. "And Daryl…" Daryl turned sharply to look at Hershel, as if he might be in trouble, maybe the older man knew what he'd done. That he'd killed his poor momma.

Hershel walked on over to Daryl and bent down to talk quietly to him so no one but Daryl could hear. "Ya don't have to eat with us if ya don't want, ya don't have to talk to us neither if ya don't want. Ya don't have to do anythin' ya don't want Daryl. There's a room upstairs for ya as long as ya need it, and that's_ your_ room now, understand? Yours. No one will come in there unless ya want them to. If ya want to be on your own just go on up there, okay son?" Daryl looked at Hershel confused, not quite realising what was going on. Perhaps he didn't know how bad he'd been after all? He liked the thought he had a room here with Beth's family though, even if he didn't deserve it. He had somewhere he could go that was just for him. Somewhere that was quiet and peaceful. He suddenly felt warm inside, even though he still felt sad, he felt hopeful… now his momma was happy with her new friends in heaven, perhaps he could be happy too with his new family.

Daryl wrapped his arms around Hershel's neck. "Thank you Sir… I think I wanna stay forever!" Daryl sniffed and flashed him the smallest smile, Hershel held onto the small boy's shoulders and planted a kiss on his forehead before standing up. Daryl carried on following Beth to the barn. He just wanted to be with his best friend for a while.

Annette, Maggie and Shawn all looked on in curiosity at the conversation that had just passed between Hershel and Daryl. Hershel wouldn't divulge what he'd said to the boy though. It was something that would stay forever between the two of them. He hoped that it helped in some small way to make Daryl feel wanted, loved even.

The barn had been decorated out for Halloween, for the barbeque they were planning on having later today. Of course that was now cancelled, but they hadn't had time to take any of it down before Daryl arrived. Annette, Maggie and Beth had spent the week decking it out in cobwebs and ghosts and ghouls. There were a dozen pumpkins still scattered around on hay bales and shelves. Daryl and Beth had spent the last few days carving faces into them all, seeing who could create the most hideous and scary pumpkin. Hershel and Annette had been the judges but they hadn't been allowed to know who carved each one. They did have a pretty good idea which were Beth's though and let Daryl win so he could feel proud of something he'd done. They knew he didn't get praise at home, in fact only the opposite, and they also knew Bethy wouldn't care one bit about not winning. She never seemed to care about anything as long as Daryl was happy.

"Daryl, I feel so sad about your momma. I'm sorry she's gone and I'm sorry your house is gone and that Merle's gone too… Yunno you can live here now though! Daddy won't let no one take ya into care or nothin'." They were sat next to each other in their armchair now, everything silent except the feint sound of the chickens scratching around outside in the barnyard.

Beth looked sad, almost as sad as Daryl felt. He hated to see Beth upset. She never really got upset, except for that one time when he hadn't gone to school and he caught her sobbing in here. Daryl threw both his arms around his friend to soothe her, it helped to soothe himself just as much. They sat like that for a long time. Both shedding tears. Beth from seeing Daryl so upset about his momma and knowing she couldn't do anything to make it better, and Daryl because of everything he'd lost in the space of just a few hours.

Daryl wanted to tell her everything, everything except the dream he had where she was hurt and there was blood. He wanted to forget that and never think of it again. First though he just wanted to cuddle her and never stop.

Beth was a really good listener and she never cared about any of the bad things either. She just told him nothing was his fault and that he was a good boy. She always knew exactly what to do. She was smart like that, not like Daryl himself, he got confused easily by his pa. He wanted to believe Beth but when he saw horrible pictures in his head, of the fire and of Beth lying dead he knew that his pa was right, he was evil. But he also knew Beth didn't ever lie, which just confused him more.

"Beth?..." Daryl paused for a moment waiting for something, he wasn't sure what. Beth pulled back from him and looked at him though wide eyes. "It's all ma fault. Momma's dead 'cause she wouldn't come outta the house when I asked her. She was s'posed ta come here, ta yer barbeque but she was too tired. So I left her… now she's dead. And I saw it. I saw the flames and the smoke…. Why didn't she come Beth?" tears were now free falling from Daryl's red puffy eyes. He could hardly speak for shuddering, his chest vibrating against Beth's as she pulled him close again.

"It ain't your fault Daryl so don't say such things, ya hear me? Ain't never heard such silly talk before. You're good Daryl Dixon, you're kind and carin'…Ya never started the fire did ya? Ya didn't want this to happen either did ya? Well then none a' this is your fault. It's not anyone's fault Daryl. It was an accident, a horrible accident is all." Daryl wanted to believe those words so much. He wanted to believe it wasn't his fault and that he was good. Good enough to be Beth's friend.

Daryl didn't want to talk anymore. What was there to say? His momma was gone now, forever. His house was gone, Merle was gone and his pa didn't want him. Daryl just wanted to sleep. As if his best friend could read his mind, Beth shuffled around in the armchair until she was sat upright and Daryl was curled up into a ball, his head in her lap. He could feel her warmth, her softness and her love as she stroked him. Her hands running rhythmically through his hair, across his scalp. That was his favorite thing in the world… Beth stroking his hair, it calmed him, soothed him like nothing else. It reminded him of his momma, she would do that sometimes when he was real small. He started to cry again. And this time it wasn't like his usual crying, he would normally just let silent tears run down his cheeks after a beating from his pa. But this time he knew Beth could hear him sobbing and feel him shaking. He didn't care either, he needed to let it out. The guilt, the pain, the loss and the sadness.

Beth didn't speak again, she just gently hummed and quietly sang some of their favorite songs as she continued to caress Daryl's hair. Daryl eventually fell asleep, a deep sleep where he didn't dream of anything. It was empty and dark and peaceful and it soothed his soul.

Hershel came out to the barn to look for the two children after getting no response from his calls that super was ready. He found them curled up on the armchair, Daryl still fast asleep. He picked him up and carried him to his new bedroom, covering him up with a blanket. Beth refused to leave her friends side, telling her daddy she was staying with Daryl all night in case he woke and got scared because he was on his own in a strange place. Hershel wasn't really happy about it, but they only were ten years old and the poor boy was heartbroken. He supposed there was no harm and he couldn't bear to see Bethy become any sadder than she already was. He also knew if he forbid her she would never forgive him. He watched how his daughter lovingly curled up behind the small boy and began to hum as she ran her tiny fingers through his hair again. That was the moment Hershel Greene knew his daughter would never love anybody else except Daryl Dixon.


	4. Chapter 4: Signs

**The Hunger**

**Chapter Four - Signs**

**Daryl's POV**

**Sunday, April 30th 2000. Senoia, GA.**

They were absolutely drenched to the skin by the time they got back to the barn. The Heavens had opened and there'd been nowhere to shelter. Daryl had grabbed Beth's hand and dragged her along as fast as he could, but she'd been laughing so hard, they had to keep stopping. Then she'd grabbed him and pulled him to the ground just so they could lie and watch the rain. They were soaked anyway, so he didn't mind. Then she found his hand and squeezed her fingers around it, like she had hundreds of times before. This time it felt different. It sent a chill across his body, it made his stomach churn, it made him feel excited in a way he never had before, in parts he never had before.

"Daryl I'm soaked, we'll have to wait here in the barn for it to stop. Then we can go back to the house and get dry… I'll get momma to make us some hot chocolate." Beth was panting, breathless from running but still managing a giggle as she turned to Daryl and gave him one of his favorite smiles, the kind she'd given him the first day he met her. He smiled back at her through the long heavy wet strands of hair now stuck to his face and felt his cheeks begin to warm as a blush started to creep over them.

Daryl realized he was staring at Beth. Red faced and embarrassed. Her jean shorts and cropped t-shirt were sodden and clinging to her body as if they were painted on. He noticed how her nipples had hardened, bursting through the material of her top. He noticed how the water droplets collecting on her chin from her wet hair were dripping one by one onto her heaving chest, running down the small gap between her breasts. The small perfect breasts he'd never paid attention to before. He noticed how the skin of her arms and legs had goose bumped and he noticed how smooth and flat and pale the skin of her stomach was.

More than all that he could feel his own pants becoming tight in a way they never had before, at least not when he'd looked at Beth. Not when he'd looked at his best friend, his only friend.

He didn't understand what it meant, he didn't want to have those kinds of thoughts about Beth, he didn't want his body to react the way it was but he couldn't stop it. Daryl had seen Beth's semi naked body lots of times over the years; when they'd change into their bathing suits to go swimming in the lake or when they'd go to her room and she'd quickly change her clothes after getting them dirty from playing in the barn together. He didn't understand why seeing her body now was any different. It was just Beth after all.

"Come 'ere and sit down, the rain ain't gonna stop any time soon." Daryl beckoned for her to sit with him on the bale of hay he'd found, hoping the feeling would go away if he ignored it.

He never wanted things to change between them, he didn't like change. He wanted it to stay exactly as it was now; happy, just him and Beth doing everything together...forever.

Beth sat down and grabbed hold of Daryl's hand, holding it tight between them on the hay bale as they both looked out through the barn door, watching the rain coming down in sheets, listening to it hammer rhythmically on the tin roof.

"Yer shiverin' Beth, lemme get ya a blanket, I think there's one in our stall." Daryl was just about to stand up and look for it when Beth tightened her grip on his hand and pulled him back.

"I don't need a blanket, ya can keep me warm, like ya did that time I was sick. Momma let ya sit with me and ya got on the bed next to me and kept me warm for hours. Do ya remember?" a smile crossed Beth's lips as she thought back.

"Yeah, course I remember, ya wouldn't stop shiverin'. We were younger then though Beth." Daryl had never understood why Beth always wanted to touch him, but he knew he would never stop her. It was the only physical contact he'd ever had with another person since his mom had died. It made him feel safe and not so alone. More than that though, the thought of having such pure skin touching his helped in part to ease the dirty feeling of shame he carried around because of what his pa did to him.

"What's the difference now, don't ya wanna put your arm round me no more… too good for me now are ya Dixon?" Beth nudged him and grinned, he knew she was only messing with him and he couldn't help but smile back at her as his heart pounded hard enough to burst through his chest.

How could he tell her the difference now was that a part of his body was becoming hard and uncomfortable when she touched him that never did before. Daryl knew she was pretty, but he'd always known that, even when he was six he knew she was the prettiest thing he'd ever seen. He also knew how all the other boys had started to notice how pretty she was, too. He didn't like the way they looked at her, either. They were looking at his Beth like she was available and they shouldn't have been. She was his, only his, she always had been.

"Come 'ere then." Daryl shuffled closer to her and put his arm around her waist, pulling her into him as Beth rested her head on his shoulder. He felt a jolt of electricity surge through him as her damp skin touched his.

"It's pretty when ya ain't out there gettin' wet ain't it?" Beth chuckled. He'd grown used to the way Beth saw beauty in everything around her, including in him. He didn't understand it but had come to realize it was the only thing that had kept him going. Her belief that he was a good person and that nothing, not one bit of what his pa did to him, was his fault.

She'd saved him from drowning, she'd been his life raft, something he could cling to even on his worst days, in his lowest moments. And he'd clung on with both hands. They hadn't spent a day apart since that first day she spoke to him at the bus stop. Between that day and this she'd seen everything there was to see; the wounds, the scars, the sadness, the pain. She'd heard everything there was to hear; the cries, the sobs, and the yelps as she'd bathed his cuts best she could, holding him tight as silent tears fell. And she'd understood everything there was to understand. She knew him better than he knew himself.

Even now aged fifteen he knew he loved Beth Greene and that he was going to spend every day with her for the rest of his life. Wherever she would go, he would go too. What he didn't know was that the love he felt for Beth had grown to be more than that of just best friends, and he had absolutely no idea she felt the same way about him.

**Friday, September 22nd 2000.**

The last five months of Daryl's life had been the most uncomfortable he'd ever known. Since that day in the barn, he'd been thinking about Beth more and more, if that was even possible. Beth had always been his main thought of the day anyway. It was knowing he was going to see her at the end of every single one that had got him through the last nine years and made his life bearable. But these thoughts were different, he imagined touching her in places that a best friend really shouldn't, he wanted to kiss her pretty lips and run his fingers through her beautiful long hair. He wanted to know what it would feel like to have her soft healing hands on the parts of his body she hadn't touched before, the parts no one had touched before. He wanted everyone to know she was his, that the most caring person in the world belonged to Daryl Dixon. He had no clue what to do with any of it, though. He'd come close to telling her so many times but knew she wouldn't feel the same. Why would someone as beautiful as Beth want his ugly scarred body touching hers? No, he didn't want to ruin their friendship. He didn't want to lose his best friend. So he just kept quiet. Until one day he couldn't.

Daryl was waiting out at the front of school for Beth as usual. He'd walked her home every day since they were twelve, since her daddy said she was old enough not to need a parent's ride home. Daryl had always liked Hershel, since that first day they met and he made it clear Daryl was always welcome in his house. The man also adored Beth and was the epitome of what a father should be, not like his own mean, cruel and evil pa. Hershel always treated Daryl well too, even if he had probably thought him a strange choice for his daughter to have as her best friend. Hershel only ever wanted Beth to be happy, though, so he never interfered between her and Daryl.

This particular day though it was getting late, the school had almost emptied but Beth was nowhere to be seen. Then just as Daryl was about to go back in and look for her he saw Erika crossing the road towards him. He'd seen her a few times over the years since that night he ran to hide in Hershel's barn. He never knew when she would turn up but he always enjoyed their brief encounters. He always felt that same warmth and kindness surround him and the same safe blanket envelop him as he had done that first night. Erika always knew what to say too, she'd made him feel better at some of his lowest points. She always made sure he knew Beth would be there for him too, in the times he was doubtful.

"You are going to ask her I hope Daryl?" Erika was stood beside Daryl now, smiling in her usual way.

Daryl always liked her smile and her vivid blue eyes. She seemed so tiny now though, compared to all those years ago when he seemed so small next to her. She still looked young and pretty, Daryl thought she didn't look any older than she did ten years ago.

"Ask her? Ask who what?" Daryl had no idea what Erika was talking about, but that's how most of their conversations started.

"Oh I think you know. I've seen the way you look at her. _She's_ seen the way you look at her. She's waiting Daryl. And it isn't polite to keep a lady waiting. Especially one as beautiful as Beth." Erika placed her hand on Daryl's forearm and her eyes smiled at him.

"Nah, Beth ain't interested in me like that." Daryl suddenly understood Erika's cryptic ramblings. She had a way of getting into Daryl's head, putting him on the right track, making him understand exactly what she meant.

"Daryl my dear you really should learn to read the signs. You haven't noticed the way Beth looks at you have you? She _is _waiting Daryl and you don't want to disappoint her do you?" Erika grinned at him and her blue eyes shone as they caught the afternoon sun.

Daryl blinked and was just about to tell her she was wrong, but she was gone. He swore he heard a fluttering sound every time Erika disappeared. She sure was a cryptic lady but Daryl had grown used to her and always wondered when she would appear to him next and what she would say.

After he'd thought about what Erika had said for a moment, he looked in the direction of the school and noticed Beth walking towards him with Vincent, the school douchebag. He treated girls like they were playthings and now he was talking to Beth. Daryl didn't think Beth seemed very interested, though. She was smiling but that was just Beth's way. Then he could see how close Vincent was getting to her, how he was using any excuse to brush up against her or try to put his hands on her. Daryl was getting angry. Real angry. How dare he try and touch her? Couldn't he see she wasn't interested in him? Didn't he know Beth belonged to him?

Then Daryl saw red. Vincent seemed to whisper something to her and went to put his arm around Beth's shoulders. She flinched, her hand moving to his chest as if to push him back and her face wasn't smiling anymore. Before he could even think, Daryl was next to them, his fist making contact with Vincent's face and knocking him to the floor.

"She ain't interested jackass so jus' leave her alone." Daryl had never hit anyone before, although he was more than capable. His body had grown solid and muscular over the last year, he was tall too and could easily pass for eighteen rather than the almost sixteen that he was now.

"Daryl what are ya doin'?" Beth sounded shocked, mad even, like he was the one in the wrong. Daryl had thought she'd be pleased he saved her from that asshole.

"He shouldn't a' been touchin' ya like that, ya ain't a piece a' meat." Daryl knew he shouldn't have hit Vincent but he shouldn't have been touching her.

Beth was his. He'd tried to convince himself she was anyway, but Daryl knew deep down she'd eventually get a boyfriend. Every boy in school had started to notice her recently, including the older ones like Vincent. He knew she'd also make other friends and that she'd want to see other people, but that didn't mean he'd ever like it though.

"She don't belong ta ya Dixon, she ain't ya pet. She'll need a real man one day, one who can take care of her, give her what she wants, and that sure ain't gonna be you, ya dumbass redneck." Beth was helping Vincent up as he held his bloodied nose and spat venom at Daryl.

"Are you alright to get home? I'm sorry Vincent… he shouldn't have hit ya like that. Daryl say yer sorry." Beth looked up but Daryl had already slumped off back to his usual waiting place.

"Forget it. Ya better go run after yer guard dog. Ya might be pretty an' all but ya ain't worth this kinda shit." Vincent stomped off in the other direction leaving Beth standing there alone.

Beth caught up to Daryl who had calmed down now and felt embarrassed by what he'd just done.

"Daryl what did ya do that for? He wasn't hurtin' me." Beth didn't seem as angry as he thought she would be.

"Ya looked liked ya didn't like what he was doin', he was touchin' ya… ya ain't his ta touch...yer mi..." Daryl had to stop himself from saying 'mine', because he knew she wasn't, not outside of his little fantasy anyway "Anyway, he's a dick. He needed a good beatin'." Daryl finished the sentence and was now beet red staring at the floor, wishing it would open up and swallow him.

"I know ya only meant well Daryl but I ain't anybody's...I'm still waitin' ta be asked." Beth was trying to tell Daryl she wanted him to ask her. Beth had wanted Daryl to ask her out for as long as she could remember. She sometimes thought he wanted to, but then other times he looked distant and like he wasn't interested in anything only being her friend. She couldn't blame him. He was gorgeous, why would he want to go out with her? She was just the dorky farmers daughter after all...he could have his pick of any of the pretty girls at school "Ya know someday you'll have ta let me take care of myself… see other people." Daryl could hear Beth sigh before she continued "He is a jackass though. He said I was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen, then asked me if I wanted to make out with him… creep." Beth was sure Daryl hadn't understood what she'd meant so she just laughed it off. She grabbed Daryl's hand as usual and started to walk with him.

Daryl wanted to tell her he didn't ever want her to see anybody else. That he wanted her to be his, just his… forever. He wanted to be the only person that could touch her and kiss her. He wanted to take care of her like she'd taken care of him and he wanted to make her as happy as she made him too, although he doubted he would ever be capable of doing either of those things for her. He was just too useless.

But he didn't tell her anything. Erika's words were still running through his head on a loop 'She _is _waiting Daryl and you don't want to disappoint her do you?' He was too scared to tell her though. He thought Beth would laugh at him or that he'd scare her away and she'd not want to see him anymore. Why would Beth want you Dixon? Even your own parents never wanted you?

He carried on holding her hand and he carried on walking her home, like he had done every day for the past four years. Only this time in an awkward silence.

They got back to the farmhouse and Beth dragged him upstairs to her room. They spent lots of time in her room, mainly in wintertime when it was too cold to sit in their clubhouse in the barn like they did the rest of the year.

"I gotta get changed, it's way too hot out there for these pants and shirt. Ya got some t-shirts here still if ya wanna change too." Beth nodded towards the chest of drawers.

Daryl shook his head.

Daryl had kept spare clothes at Beth's for years, never knowing when he might be in need of them, even though his pa didn't beat him quite as much these days; he supposed that was because he was older, bigger now. But when he did they'd be bad beatings, heavy buckle cuts where his pa would thrash him, showing him he wasn't too old or too big to take a beating still.

Beth began to unbutton her shirt. Daryl wasn't listening to the words but he could see her chattering on. He was sat on her bed, back against the wall, knees pulled up to his chest just watching her as if he was in a bubble. He didn't want to look because he knew what was going to happen, what always happened lately when he looked at Beth, but he couldn't stop himself, she was just the most beautiful creature on God's earth.

Her skin was flawless like porcelain; smooth and pale and perfect, he thought how his own skin must be repulsive to her, ugly and marred for all eternity. Her shirt dropped to the floor leaving her in her bra. He could see the pale pink of her nipples through the lace, the perfect roundness of her small breasts, the flat silkiness of her stomach. He dropped his eyes to the floor, trying to distract himself by reciting the Presidents backwards in order of term silently in his head. He couldn't let his body give him away. He could already feel himself starting to harden and he just couldn't, not when Beth was standing there right in front of him.

He could feel her looking at him, he could feel himself going crimson. He needed to get out of here. But he couldn't move, not now, not without it becoming the most embarrassing moment of his life so far. Why wouldn't it just go away?

"Daryl what's wrong? I ain't mad at ya, Vincent deserved it, I only helped him 'cause I didn't want him ta get ya in ta trouble." Beth was dressed now and sitting next to Daryl, back against the wall and her hand on his knee "I kinda like that I got my own Superman to save me, it makes me feel safe." Daryl still didn't look at her, but his heart missed a beat when he heard her say that.

"I ain't worried 'bout him." Daryl was still staring at the floor, knowing Beth wasn't going to leave it. Beth never left it when she knew something was wrong with him. And usually he appreciated that, it made him feel not so alone. But this. He couldn't tell her this… could he? Tell her that the small, dirty, abused, awkward boy she found years ago and had taken care of is now thinking about touching her, _doing things_ to her? It seemed ugly, wrong. But Erika had said Beth felt the same. He wanted to believe her, he wanted it to be true more than anything else.

"What is it then? Ya ain't been yourself for months… Is it yer pa again? Is it worse at home? I can ask momma and daddy again if ya can move in with us. Yer almost sixteen now, it's different to when we were little, ya can stay in the spare room. Your room. Daryl please tell me? I hate it when yer upset." Beth spoke softly to him, her fingers squeezing his knee.

Daryl finally looked up at her, her wide blue eyes frantically searching his for an answer. They were swimming with tears. Tears for him. He had to tell her the truth. He would rather take the rejection than see Beth upset.

"Beth I…I don't want ya to see anyone else. I want…" Daryl didn't know if he could finish. His hand found her small dainty one and he laced their fingers together nervously as if it would give him the strength to continue. She'd always given him the strength to carry on with everything. The strength to take the beatings, knowing she was waiting for him when it was over.

"Ya want what?" Beth almost stopped breathing, her breath hitching. She wanted him desperately to say he wanted her the same way she wanted him. She wanted him to touch her, to kiss her, hold her against his strong body and just hug her.

Daryl took a deep breath and swallowed.

"I wanna be yer boyfriend. I want ya ta be mine forever. I wanna be the only one who gets ta touch ya… I'll always take care a' ya Beth I swear, I'll give ya anythin' ya want. I love ya, I've always loved ya." Daryl thought his chest might explode. All he could hear was the whooshing of the blood racing around his body and through his ears.

Then he realized he was crushing Beth's hand he was holding on so tightly. He loosened his grip and looked at her, he couldn't be any more embarrassed so he thought he might as well find her gaze.

"Oh..." she gazed back at him and a smile slowly began to light up her face. Her blue eyes almost like sapphires as she blinked away the tears. She couldn't find any other words, not yet.

"Ya don't feel like that about me though… I know… it don't matter, please don't let it change things between us." Daryl carried on talking, he hadn't even stopped to notice the huge grin now plastered over Beth's face. He was back to looking at the floor again, cursing himself for being so stupid. Cursing Erika for making him believe Beth wanted him.

Beth was quiet for a moment longer. Daryl's heart sank as he thought he'd just lost the only good thing his miserable life had ever known. He thought she was going to say she didn't want to be his friend anymore, not now she knew what awful thoughts he'd been having about her. That she'd think he was no better than Vincent. He wanted to take it all back, he wanted to tell her to forget he'd said anything. And then she spoke.

"Daryl Dixon I love ya too. I have since I found ya that day outside school. I thought you'd never want me like that though. I ain't nothin' special so I thought you'd ask some other girl out and break my heart." Beth started to rub her thumb over his fingers, he glanced up at her and could see she was beaming back at him, and he knew he hadn't got it wrong. "Ya gonna ask me out now, huh?" Beth sounded excited, so excited she might burst. She giggled as she shuffled herself around on the bed until she was facing Daryl.

Daryl had lost all power of speech. He'd forgotten how to breathe. His mouth was dry and his heart was banging. He tried to remember to smile back at her but he was too distracted by her words bouncing around in his head. He wasn't really sure he hadn't just dreamed them.

"There ain't never gonna be anyone only you Beth... I'm gonna love ya forever." Daryl didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He felt delirious. How could Beth Greene think she wasn't good enough for him or that he'd want someone else? There was no one else. Beth was his world. She always had been. She always would be.

"Ya can kiss me if ya want." He was brought back to reality as the angel in front of him said the words he'd imagined her saying for months.

Beth was the one blushing now and she suddenly looked nervous. Her free hand twisting in her long golden hair. He'd never seen anything so beautiful. And he'd never wanted anything more than to touch her beautiful face and kiss her perfect mouth. So he did.

It was slow and gentle and it was messy and clumsy. There were mistakes and there were giggles. But there was no awkwardness or embarrassment. It was just the most natural and beautiful thing either of them had ever experienced. It was two soul mates finally declaring their eternal love for one another and that was what made it perfect.


	5. Chapter 5: Promises

**A/N Huge thanks to everyone that's following and reviewing. We appreciate every single one of you and hope you continue to enjoy this story... and review! **

**WARNING: This chapter contains extremely bad language and scenes of violence and abuse. It is though, pertinent to the story and was not written lightly. It made us cry for days! See how we suffer for our art and for you guys?! You have been warned though.**

**Anyhow, please still enjoy and let us know what you think...**

**Lola & E xx**

**The Hunger**

**Chapter Five - Promises**

**Beth's POV**

**Saturday, April 13th 2002. Senoia, GA.**

Forecasters had been calling all week for a long pull of thunderstorms to roll through over the whole weekend, but it hadn't deterred Daryl from making big plans for Beth's seventeenth birthday. He'd been working a bit for Hershel here and there whenever he could and also had a part time job at the hardware store. He'd managed to save a little bit of money and he had a big surprise to give Beth tonight. Well, not a big surprise. It was tiny, actually, but a big deal to Daryl. He was excited, but worried and a little scared if he had to admit it to himself. If this went wrong, if he had read everything wrong, it could be a disaster. His whole life depended on tonight.

Daryl wasn't one for "dates". He and Beth usually just hung around the farm or at the creek north of town. Daryl's favorite thing was just to sit in the barn and draw in his notebook while Beth sang along to the little radio they had. Neither of them ever needed anything fancy or complicated. They just enjoyed spending time together. But sometimes Daryl would draw what he imagined Beth's future should be like, and it was fancy. He thought that Beth deserved something better than a dusty old barn and a dirty scarred redneck. So he drew beautiful high rise buildings with sleek clean lines and crystal clear glass, mansions of pale slate with cathedral ceilings and huge picture windows and plush white carpets, business fronts with windows and windows full of beautiful objects and endless possibilities. They were all stylish ideas that didn't fit Daryl, but he didn't mind daydreaming about his beautiful Beth in that world, far far away from all the ugliness and worry that he'd subjected her to all these past ten years.

They had planned on walking tonight - they usually did, but the rain had just started coming down in steady heavy sheets and it didn't look like it was going to let up any time soon. Beth had called Daryl's prepaid cell phone and told him to stay put. Hershel and Annette were gone on vacation, so she'd borrow Hershel's truck for them to use and pick him up at the hardware store after his shift. He hadn't even told her where they were going, just said it was going to be a surprise. Beth pulled up right on time and watched as Daryl sprinted to the truck and tucked in next to her, slamming the door. He always took her breath away. Beth thought he was the total package, even if he would never understand why she thought that way about him. Besides being kind and gentle and caring and her best friend, Daryl's strong arms and wide chest and hard angled jaw line just made Beth melt inside, every time she watched him.

Daryl was used to seeing Beth. Hell he'd seen her every single day for the past ten years. Tonight, though, she looked different. She was breathtaking, all bright blonde hair and pale skin and ocean eyes glowing even in the gloomy stormy afternoon. She was wearing the prettiest blue sundress he'd ever seen and her hair was loose, flowing easy and free curling around her shoulders. Her clean fresh smell, sweet like honeysuckle, filled the cab of the truck and made Daryl dizzy with nerves and desire. He slid over next to her and kissed her tenderly like he always did. He was trying to hide the fact that he was shaking like a leaf. Being close to her usually steadied Daryl's nerves, but today she made them worse.

"Where we headed?" Beth was grinning from ear to hear, excited about her plan for later. She hoped Daryl was going to be okay with her decision and she was nervous about how to tell him. For now, though, she was happy to see what he had in store for her. Daryl had been so secretive and jumpy the past few weeks that Beth figured it must be something really special. She knew he was nervous about sharing his plans. He always went out of his way to please her, but he always doubted himself as if Beth was going to disapprove or be disappointed. It was a trait ingrained in him by his bastard father. A belt wound to his soul that even Beth hadn't been able to heal.

"Lemme drive." Beth scoffed at Daryl's request but was still grinning when she made the move to shift over him to the passenger seat. Daryl sucked in a breath and helped her slide across his lap. His hands wrapped around her tiny waist, he made sure to lift her just a bit so that she didn't accidentally brush against him. He'd had that embarrassing situation happen once before and he'd had a hard time trying to hide his reaction to the surprise friction. Truth be told Daryl had been having a hard time with those type of reactions more and more lately. Every time they kissed or barely touched, and that had been more and more lately, he'd get hard instantly. It was embarrassing each and every time because he knew Beth had to notice at least part of the time.

Beth settled herself in the middle beside Daryl and they took off. Beth was surprised when they headed out of town and down little back roads that didn't even look familiar to her. They came to a little red-tin covered bridge over a high-running creek. Daryl stopped the truck under the start of the bridge and got out, holding his hand out to Beth. It was a beautiful place, especially with the rain coming down off the roof like a gentle waterfall. They walked hand in hand to the middle of the bridge and looked out over the creek.

"I's gonna take you fishin' but this water's too rough today. Thought you'd like it here, though, like ta see it. I walk by here on my way home from yer place sometimes. It's peaceful and pretty. Like you. I know it ain't no fancy plans, but…" Beth beamed at him. It was beautiful and she loved it here. "It's perfect, Daryl. Like you." He looked doubtful, of course, but she leaned up to kiss him.

The kiss was tender. Daryl's kisses always were. But Beth tried to deepen it a bit, sliding her tongue deeper between his lips. Daryl responded, returning the kiss in equal fervor. Beth took that as a good sign and wrapped her arms around Daryl's neck and pulled him closer, pressing herself flush against him. Daryl's hands were instantly on her waist pushing her gently back away from him. Beth wasn't stupid, she knew why. Daryl was so shy about his body and it's normal reactions. She wanted to just tell him it was ok, that she liked knowing she had the power to turn him on like that but she knew it would just embarrass him even more.

Daryl pulled away from her and cleared his throat. Beth was disappointed. "Daryl…" She tried to lean up to keep kissing him, but he grinned at her and took her hand. "Come on, Beth." He helped her over to the edge of the bridge and sat down, pulling her down beside him. "Happy Birthday. I got ya somethin'. It ain't fancy or anythin'." Beth tucked herself into his side and just looked at him as he fumbled around in his pocket unsteadily. She thought how beautiful he was, worrying his lip with his teeth and flushed from their kiss moments before and maybe embarrassment over giving her a present. Again, it was something she knew bothered him. He never thought what he had to give was good enough. If Beth could only figure out a way to show him definitively that wasn't the case. She had an idea that she planned to try tonight. She just hoped it was going to work out.

Beth was still lost in her own thoughts when she realized that the deep blue eyes she was lost in were looking at her uncertainly. Then she noticed that he was holding something out to her. It was a tiny black velvet bag with a silk tie bowed at the top. Beth looked at Daryl for a moment confused then opened the bag with shaking fingers. Inside she found the most tiny delicate silver band of vines with dancing diamond leaves and solitary stones. It was unique and the prettiest piece of jewelry she'd ever seen. Beth thought it was gorgeous, but she couldn't catch her breath to say anything.

"If ya don't like it I can take it back. It's no problem, really." Daryl's face was bright red now and his eyes were watery. She knew that look on his face, too. It was embarrassment and shame. She'd seen it every time she had to tend to his wounds. She understood her silence was confusing him, that he probably saw it as a rejection. Since she couldn't find words, she looked right at him and slid the ring down over the second finger on her right hand and beamed back at him. "Thank you." That seemed to work well enough. Daryl's smile was back, but he still looked a little uncertain.

"It's beautiful Daryl. The most beautiful thing, ever. It's so different. Thank you, but you didn't have to buy me jewelry. You know I ain't like that."

"I know ya ain't. But…this ain't just jewelry. It's like…well…I mean…you're wearin' it on the wrong hand I think." Daryl took Beth's hands in his and moved the ring from her right hand to her left. "I just…uh…it's meant to be a promise ring."

"That sounds nice. But what does that mean?" It was Beth's turn to be uncertain. She was literally starting to sweat and she felt like she might swoon. Was Daryl asking her what she thought he was asking her?

"It means…I love you and…" Daryl took a second to catch a deep breath and Beth decided to do so as well. It was almost funny that they were both so shaken up. "And someday maybe we can talk about being more than just girlfriend and boyfriend…like…I dunno…" It didn't seem that Daryl could bring himself to say it, but Beth got where he was going with his rambling thoughts.

"Yes." Beth almost shouted. It actually echoed a bit under the tin of the covered bridge.

"What? Yes what?" Daryl asked.

"Yes. I promise we can talk about that someday. Whenever you want to. Like bein'…you know…husband and wife…someday." Beth was tearing up and she couldn't help it. This was something so unexpected and beautiful that she could hardly stand it. She always assumed she would always have to take the first step with Daryl on everything but he surprised her. She was proud that he could be so bold and give her a gift like this. And by gift, she didn't mean the ring but the promise of marriage someday.

Beth leaned into him and wrapped her arms around Daryl's middle, resting her head on his chest. Beth let herself calm down a bit as she listened to the steady racing thump of Daryl's heart. "I love ya Daryl."

Daryl tilted Beth's head back so he could see her eyes. "I love ya, too." Daryl looked like he just won the lottery or something. He must have been worrying over this for weeks, about what she'd say to him. But now he looked like he didn't have a care in the world. Beth couldn't stand it anymore. She practically launched herself at him, crushing her lips to his as she straddled his lap. She wasn't worried about falling over the edge of the bridge. She knew Daryl would never let that happen.

The kiss was frantic for both of them, and exhilarating. It was a release of all the pressure that had been building for both of them the last few weeks as they had both worried over their plans for today. Daryl's hands were tangled in her hair and Beth's hands were roaming over his chest and arms and abs. Their tongues lathed against each other, probing, discovering, and pleading for more. Beth brought her hands up to Daryl's neck and around to grasp his hair as their kiss went on. She gently pressed her chest to his and sighed at the lovely warm contact, even through their clothing.

Daryl, of course tried to pull back at that point, but there was really nowhere for him to retreat to since they were perched on the bridge. "Beth…I can't…uh…" He was clearing his throat and trying to hide his eyes from her in growing embarrassment.

"Shh, Daryl. I know and it's ok. You can." She looked him in the eye as she pressed herself more flush against him and he sucked in a tight breath. She kissed him again to distract him a bit for the next part. As she kissed and sucked at his tender lips, Beth took his hand from her hair and slid it down over the front of her dress and squeezed his hand over her breast.

"Ahh. Beth…" She kept his hand pulled tightly where it was and kissed him again. They had done a bit of this here and there but Daryl was just so painfully shy that he couldn't stand anything but quick gentle touches before he pulled back. Beth was determined to help him continue this time. She could feel Daryl's breath get heavier as he finally moved his hand on her breast himself, gently squeezing and massaging. Beth reached up and brought his other hand down to her other breast. His big warm hands on her felt so good, she couldn't believe it. She was enjoying this so much that she never wanted it to end.

She pulled back from their kiss so she could watch Daryl enjoy himself. Seeing his eyes dark with desire looking at her like that turned Beth into mush and there was an instant puddle between her legs. She couldn't help it, her body moved on it's own down against Daryl's hardness. He stopped moving quickly and just looked up at Beth with an expression that screamed shock and panic. Beth knew Daryl was in a bad position, she could feel how hard he was when she brushed against him. She wanted to give him the release she knew he needed but would never ask her for. She didn't know what she was doing, but she couldn't resist sliding her hand down Daryl's chest and abs and over the hard mound below. Daryl had hold of her wrist immediately, trying to pull her away but she wouldn't relent.

"Shh. It's just me Daryl. It's ok to feel this. I promise. It's just me." Beth rubbed her hand gently up and down once. Daryl looked like he was in pain but he wrapped both arms around Beth and squeezed as he buried his face in her neck. Beth rubbed some more, just a little harder. She hoped she was doing the right thing. She continued to move her hand on him gently but firmly, squeezing just a little.

Daryl was immediately somewhere else, in another one of his daydreams. Beth was beneath him facedown on her knees in a huge soft bed. Daryl's cock was buried deep in her as he smacked her ass and listened to her squeal of surprise. He liked it, it was thrilling, so he smacked her harder leaving a handprint on her perfect white flesh as she gasped and moaned out his name. When he smacked her pretty little behind a third time even harder he felt her jump and clamp down on his cock tightly. _Oh Gooood Daryl! _In reality, Beth was still sat in his lap on the bridge rubbing and squeezing him through the fabric of his pants. She kissed the back of his neck and was about to ask how to proceed… "_Daryl_?…" She didn't get a chance though. As soon as Daryl's name was past her lips and actually said out loud, whispered gently in his ear, Daryl spasmed under her as his fantasy and reality mixed with just the sound of his name. He reached down to grab Beth's ass and pulled her hard onto himself, grinding slowly against her as he growled then whimpered into her neck.

It was over so fast, but Beth was delighted that she was finally able to give Daryl the physical pleasure she knew he had been needing for so long. The grin on her face was uncontrollable. Now it was her turn to feel like she had just won the lottery. She had no idea about the little fantasy that Daryl had played out with her as the starring attraction. Daryl finally looked up at her embarrassed and shameful, thinking that she surely knew the sick thoughts that had just played out in his head. But even Daryl's ingrained self-consciousness couldn't fight that grin that Beth was giving him. He obviously hadn't done anything wrong. It was a rush of relief to his entire soul.

A sudden bright flash and deafening crack of thunder almost scared them out of their reverie. "Come on Daryl Dixon. Let's go home. I'll drive, but you'll have to tell me how to get back." Daryl was a bit disappointed that the evening was over. It had just started getting dark, though the rain made it look even later than it already was. He didn't want to go home. He never wanted to go home again after tonight. Hell, he didn't ever want to go anywhere again after this. He just wanted to be with Beth, holding her, kissing her, _doing things_ with her. He was definitely going to need that long walk home tonight in the cold rain.

When they got back to the Greene farm, Daryl was surprised when Beth pulled down in front of the barn instead of up to the driveway at the house. He looked at Beth quizzically. "Come on, I wanna show you somethin'." Beth grabbed a flashlight from the console of the truck and they sprinted through the rain into the barn. Beth closed the door shut and barred it, then clicked on the flashlight and led Daryl to the back of the barn and up the steps to the loft. At the top of the steps was a battery operated lantern and Beth clicked it on instead of the flashlight. It produced a lovely warm glow and she led Daryl around to the far corner of the loft.

"Surprise." Daryl looked confused. Tucked under the eaves here was…a bed? "It's just some hay bales with a bunch of blankets thrown over it, but it shouldn't be too uncomfortable." Okay, so it was a bed. Daryl was still confused. Why was there a bed in the loft?

Beth could see that Daryl didn't get where she was going with this so she decided to just jump in and show him. She put the lantern down on a shelf on along the wall then came back over to kiss Daryl. "I wanna be with you tonight." Daryl just looked at her with his eyebrows raised. "Daryl, I wanna _be_ with you." Beth reached up and pushed Daryl's t-shirt up his body and tugged it over his head quickly before he could protest. "I've been plannin' it for a while. Please?"

"Nah, Beth. We don't hafta. We already done plenty tonight."

"I want to, Daryl. I want to do everythin' with you. And I don't wanna wait." She moved forward and pressed a kiss against his bare chest over his heart and looked back up into his eyes.

Daryl could hardly resist. He wanted Beth Greene so bad he couldn't stand it. At the same time, it just didn't seem right to have such a beautiful creature touching his ugly marred skin. He wouldn't deny Beth anything, though. If this is what she wanted, he would try. Even if she was disappointed in the end. He supposed that's what he deserved anyway.

Beth saw the moment when he relented. She moved her hands gently to his face and caressed him briefly. "This is okay Daryl. It's what I want. You don't have to be embarrassed or afraid of anythin' with me. I understand and it's just me, remember?" Daryl didn't say anything, but Beth could see relief in his eyes. "I love you." It was the sweetest three words to Beth's ears she thought she'd ever hear.

"I love you too." Beth took a tiny step back and unzipped the back of her dress. She reached out and brought Daryl's hand to her lips, kissing gently before placing it on her own shoulder, showing him to slide the dress off. Daryl picked up her hint and moved both hands to slide the garment off her body letting it pool at her feet. Her tiny lace bra and matching panties left little to the imagination, she supposed, but she picked them out on purpose. She heard Daryl sip in a quick breath as he moved his hands to her waist, caressing just barely up and down. Every little movement he made sent electric pulses down her spine and hit directly between her legs.

Beth smiled up at him as she reached to undo Daryl's belt. He froze, just letting her proceed. She unzipped and lowered his pants and underwear down off his hips. Beth was shocked as his penis sprang free. She didn't know what she expected since she'd never seen a man naked – not even Daryl, but she didn't expect it to be so…big. She was suddenly very concerned. Daryl kicked off his shoes and removed his socks as Beth stepped back and laid down on the makeshift bed. As Daryl looked down at her, she leaned forward and unclasped the back of her bra then lay back waiting. "Come 'ere. Touch me."

Daryl crawled over to Beth, kissing her gently and passionately. Beth guided him once more, showing him how to remove her bra and panties. Beth was slightly embarrassed now that they were both naked. No one had ever seen her like this. Daryl, however, was growing less unsure as they went along. Beth liked that. She liked seeing the passionate look on his face as he looked down on her and caressed her skin.

He ran his fingers gently down her neck. Kissing her pulse point. He let his big strong hands play over her sensitive breasts the way he had done earlier at the bridge. When he dipped his head and kissed one of her nipples, Beth felt something in her lower region clench and she cried out. "Ya ok. Did I hurt cha Beth?"

"God no, Daryl. That feels so good." Beth let herself laugh out loud in euphoria. That's all Daryl needed to continue on. He kissed and sucked and licked his way all over her chest, neck, and torso. Ran his hands up and down her long legs. Daryl was back to caressing her mouth with his divine tongue when his hand finally reached below to Beth's most sensitive spot. He seemed unsure, but touched and rubbed her gently all over down there, feeling the wetness he'd made.

Beth pulled back from Daryl's kiss, rolled her eyes up into her head, and leaned back; opening her legs and baring her whole body to the man who had stolen her heart. "Beth, ya ok? Is this the right way?" She couldn't even form words. She shook her head quickly and reached down to show him to add more pressure. She felt an enormous swell rising inside her and it was so close. Beth didn't want it to end yet though, so she finally pushed Daryl's hand away and moved to grasp his now weeping member.

She was stroking him lightly like he had done her. With her other hand, she reached under the top blanket and withdrew the condom that she had stolen from Maggie's room, handing it to Daryl. "Beth…you sure…ah… ya sure ya wanna do this with me?"

Beth looked into the eyes of the beautiful man above her and wondered how he could possibly still doubt what she wanted. "Even if I lived forever I'd never want to do this with anyone else, Daryl. Pinky swear. Cross my heart and hope to die."

There was a steady rolling thunder right above them now in addition to the rhythmic thrumming of the torrent of the storm outside. Adding to the lantern's soft glow, there was a hard flashing of lightning through the barnwood slats and Beth and Daryl could feel the electric hum of the storm so close above them. It heightened the electricity that was building between them as Beth helped him apply the condom and then pulled Daryl closer to guide him to her center.

"Wait, won't it hurt ya?" Daryl was suddenly back to being uncertain and shy.

"It's ok. It might hurt a bit at the beginning, but it's supposed to, ok? Don't be afraid." She reached up and shifted some of the hair that had fallen over Daryl's eyes. She continued to caress his forehead as he penetrated her. She winced at the pain, but didn't break eye contact. It was funny how it hurt, but it didn't feel painful exactly. Her breath quickened as he sunk farther and farther inside then started to withdraw and enter her again. Beth whimpered feebly as the pain subsided and a new sensation took over.

"Beth?!"

"Ahhh. Yeah. It's good."

They moved against each other clumsily at first, but they caught on quickly. They were meant to be together, they'd always done everything together and this was no different. It happened so naturally. Their movements became fluid and loose, matching the rhythm of the downpour and rolling thunder surrounding them.

The swell was back in Beth's core so suddenly that it took her by surprise. "Oh God. It feels really good, Daryl…Daryl? Ahhh!" Beth let herself go with the feelings that were taking over and she moved her body against Daryl more frantically. The pressure of him stretching inside her, sliding in and out over and over, his hands on her sensitive flesh, the power of the storm raging just outside, the safety in each others arms, the love in his eyes – it was all too much to hold back the tide.

Daryl pressed his forehead against Beth's as he drove them down into the abyss together. He groaned out his release as Beth tightened and fluttered around him, the warmth of their friction giving way to a heated fire flushing across their entwined bodies.

When they could breathe again, Beth realized that they were both in tears. Daryl removed himself and got rid of the condom before sinking back down beside her. They held each other tightly and let each other sort through their feelings quietly. There was no need for explanations or reassurances now. They both felt the power of what had just happened. Beth laid her left hand over Daryl's heart as he held her safe from the storm around them. Daryl reached up and caressed her hand, running his fingers along the ring he had placed there.

Beth watched the beautiful little band sparkle. She hoped Daryl would be ok with it if she didn't want to replace it with a gold band. She had fallen in love with it already and she didn't plan on ever taking it off for anything. "Daryl? I might be ready to talk about this promise sooner rather than later. Don't wait too long, ok?" Beth grinned up at him, still a bit hazy from the high of this whole night.

"Whatever you say Beth. We'll do whatever you say. Pinky swear. Cross my heart and hope to die." Daryl smirked at her and they both laughed.

Daryl joked, but really his heart felt like it was literally going to burst. He felt like he was floating, dreaming. He suddenly had the urge to draw again. This time he would draw a future for her with a home filled with skylights so she could see the stars at night, wide verandas next to a pool where she could bask lazily in the sun, and…a huge playground where their children could play safely within their sight. It was the first time Daryl had ever imagined that idea. It was always just Beth before, not him, not anyone else. But after tonight, Daryl could imagine a little blonde-headed baby girl with ocean blue eyes running after her momma.

Daryl realized that he was in trouble now. Wonderful heavenly trouble. And he was ok with that...

Beth had reluctantly driven Daryl home. It was late, really late, and Daryl had hoped that his dad had passed out long before now. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. His father was still awake in his armchair, completely drunk and pissed off. He was on Daryl practically before he got all the way through the back door. It was almost as if Will was waiting for him.

Daryl got a right hook to the stomach and was on the kitchen floor before he even registered he was in trouble. Will followed up with a good hard kick to  
>Daryl's ribs before he started in with the verbal assault. "You fuckin' good fer nothin' lil' shit! You know what time it is boy? Late! You don't do nothin' round here, do ya? Little prettyboy dumbass. I guess ya got better things ta do. What you been up ta tonight? Huh?" Even if Daryl had been able to speak through the pain of what he was certain was a cracked rib, he wouldn't have said a word. He knew from years of this that talking meant an even worse beating.<p>

With Daryl going silent, Will was happy to continue. Will backed himself up against the filthy kitchen counter and crossed his arms. He laughed down at Daryl as the teenager tried to catch the breath that had been knocked out of him and tried not to spill any of the tears that sprung to his eyes from the pain. Will was going to enjoy this. He did like to hear himself talk. "Always comin' in late. I know exactly what you've been doin', probably every night since ya could first get yer dick up. With that lil' blonde cocksucker a' yers. She's a pretty lil' thing, I'll give ya that. Pretty nasty too, I bet. Those wholesome lookin' ones are always the wildest lil' cumwhores."

Will leaned forward and made sure Daryl heard the next part. "Yer momma sure was, ya know." It got Daryl's attention and Will laughed with delight. Daryl huffed on the floor, still trying to fight through the pain so he could try to stand. He was trying even harder to keep his mouth shut. Not only had his pa just insulted Beth, but his momma too. It was infuriating and the words he used... it was just awful.

"Ya know what, son? That little slut don't really like ya. She's just out to get knocked up so you'll have ta work and take care a' her and yer little bastard retards from now on. That's the only reason she hangs on ya. Bitch only sees what I see - the truth. Yer weak and feeble-minded. Easy to push over. Ya should stay yer ass in this house and do my biddin' - ya'd be better off. Stupid lil' fucker."

Daryl couldn't stay quiet any more. Tonight had been the best night of his life. What he had shared with Beth wasn't like what his pa was saying. It was powerful and beautiful and good and he was lucky to have her. "She ain't like that!" Daryl jerked himself off the floor but had to stumble to the wall for support. "Beth's a good girl. She don't use me. Momma wasn't like that neither! She was just sad and broken. You did that to her. She was good once just like Beth, I bet." Tears were back in Daryl's eyes as the thought of Beth and his poor momma being the same collided. The physical exertion of his beating and the heavy emotion caused Daryl to strain to catch his breath.

Will Dixon took the opportunity of Daryl's weakness to lash out at him physically again. He grabbed Daryl by the hair and threw him to the floor face down, kicking him hard in the ass for good measure and again to the boy's already tender ribs. While he was down, Will took off his belt and struck Daryl twice across his lower back, drawing blood. "Yer whore's a good girl, huh? There ain't no such thing as a good girl, ya fuckin' idiot, she's jus' a dirty lil' whore who puts it out ta anyone who fuckin' asks! Ya think yer special? Ya think she loves ya? Lil' bitch only loves gettin' fucked, yer jus' soft enough ta spend yer money on her. She's usin' ya and yer too simple to see it!"

Daryl's eyes were big as he looked quickly over his shoulder at his pa. Will Dixon knew he was getting to the boy and he savored it. "Yeah... mmhmm... ya think yer so much better'n me. Yer jus' a stupid asshole who don't deserve to fuck a piece a tail like that, even if she is just usin ya." Will grabbed a bottle of Jack from the countertop and helped himself to several swigs before spitting on his son and laughing again. "What? Ya embarrassed now? Goddamn soft lil' turd! I told yer momma she'd make ya weak lovin' on ya like she did. Now this girl tellin' ya nonsense got ya thinkin' yer somethin'. Well ya ain't!"

All the delight in Will Dixon's face diminished as a rage of jealousy washed over him. Three more of the hardest licks from that hellfire belt reigned down on poor Daryl. He couldn't keep his cries of pain inside as he writhed on the floor and begged God for mercy silently - more from the words his father spoke than from the physical pain. Deep inside Daryl knew what his father said wasn't the truth. Beth was smart and good. She didn't lie and she wouldn't be with him if he wasn't worth nothing. But that didn't make his father's words hurt any less. As the belt came down on him over and over a flash of light suddenly appeared before Daryl's eyes. Daryl had a brief vision of a scene not unlike the one he was living, but instead of a belt his father had a knife. Daryl watched in horror and fascination as his father's switchblade lunged forward and sliced through his abdomen. He didn't feel it though. Then there was yelling, confusion, sickness, and... a gunshot. A struggle... darkness...

Daryl came back to reality, still on the floor of his father's kitchen. None of what he had just seen had been real. There was no knife, no gun, but Daryl could smell his father's rancid alcohol-laden breath as he leaned over him. "Next time yer up for some fun times ya be sure and bring that lil' slut here. She needs a real dick in her. I'm sure ya can do with some proper learnin' and I'd love ta make ya watch as I taught that girly some real lessons about bein' a true cumslut." Daryl felt like he was going to be sick to his stomach. His father beat him to it, though. Will Dixon turned and threw up in the sink before sauntering to his armchair with his bottle in hand like he didn't have a care in the world.

Daryl didn't bother to pick himself up off the floor for a long time. He just laid there and tried to figure out the jumbled mess of his thoughts about everything that had happened tonight. More than anything he just wanted to sob in confusion and self-doubt. Everything with Beth tonight had felt so good and so right. But maybe it wasn't good. Maybe he was ruining her goodness just by exposing her to trash like his father, even if it wasn't directly. In this moment he just wanted Beth to hold him and tell him that everything was ok. If only he could feel her stroking his hair and hear her say that he hadn't done anything wrong and that his father was just a sick hateful old bastard. But Daryl couldn't tell Beth about what his pa had said about her and his momma. He just couldn't expose her to that hate and evil. How much better of a life would his momma have had if she hadn't had to endure all this? He couldn't help his momma, but he could try to shield Beth from it as much as he could. For now, Daryl thought, he would take what he deserved... to wallow in filth on his father's nasty kitchen floor and just hope for a better future.


	6. Chapter 6: Plans

**A/N: Thanks again to everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed! If you missed it, please see the review that posted ourselves in response to some awesome questions that we got back on previous chapters. This one is a lot easier on the heart. Hope you enjoy! Thanks! Lola & eReedus **

**The Hunger**

**Chapter Six -Plans**

**Friday, May 10th 2002. Senoia, GA.**

They were laying in one of their favorite places. By the creek that they'd visited more times than they could remember over the years they'd known each other.

It was a glorious day, sunny and warm but not sweltering. Daryl would bring Beth here quite often after school on a Friday, sometimes to fish but mainly for the peace and quiet. Hardly anybody ever came here, most of the other kids hung out at the larger lake the other side of Senoia. That had bigger places to congregate and huge trees around it with tire swings and ropes hanging from them. Beth liked it here though, it was much prettier with bright flowers, the faint hum of birdsong and the silence of nature they couldn't find anywhere else. She always liked it best when it was just the two of them.

"What time d'ya wanna leave tomorra?" Daryl was stretched out on the grass, his arm behind his head. Beth laid tucked up onto his chest as the late afternoon sun warmed their skin.

"Early, it's gonna take three and a half hours to get there. We need to leave about 5 a.m. You can stay over if ya want, ain't no point goin' home late tonight just to get up at 4 a.m. And I don't want ya pa gettin' mad at ya again if ya wake him… please...stay at the farm?" Beth sounded scared, she knew if Daryl woke his father at that time of the morning the older man would probably kill him.

She knew he wasn't hit by his pa as often nowadays but she also knew it was bad when it did happen. Of course Daryl tried to hide the severity of the beatings, but she knew. They'd been getting worse since Daryl had grown bigger, like his pa knew he wouldn't be able to get away with it much longer and didn't like it because Daryl was growing up.

When Daryl had returned home the night of Beth's birthday, the night they first made love, he'd taken a real bad beating. His father was still awake in his armchair when Daryl crept in, he was completely drunk and pissed about some stupid argument he'd had earlier with one of his buddies. All Daryl did was just arrive home at the wrong time. His pa lost it. Shouting at him, telling him that he shouldn't be spending all his time fucking that Greene slut, and that she only wanted to get herself knocked up just like his whore of a mother had, trapping him in hell for all eternity. Taunting him by telling him that Beth didn't really want him, she was just using him until someone better came along. Daryl hadn't been able to stop himself from answering back, arguing with him in defense of Beth and his momma. His pa seemed stronger than ever though, his anger fueled both by the alcohol and his fury because Daryl had dared answer back. His pa had managed to knock him to the floor and had taken the belt to him again.

It took over a week for Daryl to actually tell Beth what had happened, but she was pretty sure he still hadn't told her the whole story, he'd never been this distant from her for this long before, so she knew it must've been bad. She hated how that evil man had ruined yet another night in Daryl's life. A night she wanted him to remember as something special.

Beth could never understand why Daryl was always so ashamed of what his pa did, especially with her. None of it was ever his fault but whatever she said or did she just knew it was never quite enough to get through to him. It broke her heart that his father had crushed him emotionally as well as physically, and now it was like he was some wild animal that needed taming. She felt sick that Daryl had as many wounds on the inside as he had on the outside. She just wished she could mend those as easily as she always had the physical ones.

That's why they'd already planned to start fresh once they'd graduated from school next year. There was nothing holding them in Senoia. They'd talked about it all the time lately. What their future held, where they would go and what they would do. That's why they were off to Savannah for the weekend. To check out the College of Art and Design there. They'd been accepted provisionally already, as long as their final transcripts matched those of their preliminaries. Savannah was close enough to still be able to see her family but far enough away from his pa. It was Atlanta where they wanted to move to eventually though.

Daryl had done great in his PSAT's, scoring 210 which was virtually unheard of. Beth was so proud of him she'd hardly given a second thought to her own good score of 190. She'd been encouraging him to apply for student aid to fund his college placement, but he'd refused point blank to apply on the grounds of needing financial help. Beth had tried to convince him it wasn't anything to be ashamed about. Why shouldn't he get something out of his lazy, alcoholic, no good, abusive pa? If he could qualify on the grounds his father didn't have the funds to support him then she told him he should. Daryl still refused, saying he'd get a scholarship on merit or he'd take out loans and pay them back after graduating. He didn't want anything from that man.

"If ya stay at the farm tonight we can sneak out to the barn and…yunno…be together again… if ya want… the bed's still made up in the hayloft?" Beth hated having to push him on this but since her birthday he hadn't wanted to do anything more than kiss and quickly touch her, and even that was over her clothes. He'd relented a couple of times and let her use her hands on him and pleasure him that way. But he just didn't seem to want to touch _her _or let her see him like she had that night. It was as though he felt he shouldn't have done it and that it was wrong, dirty or bad or something. She didn't understand it at all, he'd seemed so happy that night as they'd laid wrapped around each other. For the first time in their eleven year relationship Beth didn't quite know what to do. She felt lost and sad and so alone.

But that night had been four weeks ago now. At first she wondered if it was her and if she'd done something wrong. Although, after he'd physically recovered from his pa's beating he'd been a little more tactile and loving, but it was like he'd regressed to how shy and awkward he'd always been before. Trying to hide his feelings and his body's reactions from her. Trying to keep her at a distance.

"Don't think yer daddy would be too pleased if he caught us da ya?" Daryl was trying to deflect the question as he carried on staring into the bright clear sky above them.

"Well he doesn't think we're stayin' in separate rooms tomorrow night, so I think it won't be too much of a shock that we've had sex Daryl." Beth just looked at him for a reaction but there wasn't one.

"Daryl, I gotta know… have I done somethin' wrong?...It's just I don't understand why yer stayin' away from me. I thought ya enjoyed what we did. I thought ya would wanna do it again? Didn't ya like it? Is that it? Daryl, what's wrong? Please tell me." Beth felt desperate all of a sudden, she just wanted to cry at the thought she might've ruined things.

Maybe he wasn't ready and she'd pushed him? Maybe he thought she was a whore just like his pa had told him over and over? Maybe she was just no good at it?

"Beth, I loved it. Ya ain't done anythin' wrong I swear. It ain't you, it's me. Please don't cry Beth…I do wanna be with ya, I wanna be with ya all the time but it don't feel right… Nah… it does feel right but it shouldn't, should it?…I dunno…I'm too ruined and ugly ta be with ya, ya don't wanna be lookin' at me. I'm all messed up and yer…well yer beautiful and perfect and good and ya deserve better than ta be spoiled by me and ma hateful pa. You'll run off an' leave me in the end 'cause I'm so useless and weak. I ain't got nothin' but nastiness and evil ta give ya." Daryl sounded broken as he looked down and saw Beth so upset.

He had to tell her the truth though, he never could lie to her, not when he could see her tears welling up. Tears because of him and his broken scarred body and useless feeble mind. He hated that he couldn't just be normal, couldn't just accept things. But his brain wouldn't let him. He didn't deserve happiness or to be with Beth did he? That's what he'd been told his whole life, that's what people thought wasn't it? That he wasn't good enough. That he was worthless and stupid and bad. And they were right. Someone like Beth couldn't really love him, could she, not when she realized? He'd only ruin her goodness and then she'd leave him all alone just like his pa had always said.

"Daryl Dixon is that all? I thought ya maybe didn't love me no more or ya thought what ya pa said about me was true." Beth almost choked the words out as she let out a huge relief filled sob and her body relaxed the breath it'd been holding.

"I'll always love ya Beth, it's always been ya, it always will be. Don't say stuff like that, ma pa don't know shit 'bout ya. I know ya ain't what he says ya are. Yer beautiful and clever and yer good. Yer Beth, yer perfect...I ain't good enough for ya though. I know that. But I wanna be, I wanna try ta be 'cause I love ya and I don't ever wanna be without ya. I wanna try ta give ya back everythin' you've ever given me." Daryl glanced down at Beth again and grabbed her hand, linking their fingers and squeezing them tightly. At that moment he was that scared, confused and ashamed six year old again. He was waiting for affirmation from his best friend. Reassurance he wasn't really bad and she did love him no matter what his pa did or said.

Beth propped up on her elbow next to him and turned to face him, nervously rubbing her thumb across his hand. Beth knew that look, knew what he was asking. She knew Daryl better than she knew herself. She had to do her best to convince him he was wrong and that she would love him unconditionally until her dying day .

"Daryl… none of that man's badness exists when I look at you. All I see is the most perfect, caring, gentle man I've ever known, or ever will know... I love ya Daryl, I'll love ya forever and I'm never leavin' ya.…. You deserve to be happy, we deserve to be happy, don't let him ruin it Daryl. Don't let him win… I know you think yer different because of yer scars and yer pa... that yer worthless and useless but none of that's true. None of it. He's just an evil, horrible bully Daryl and he doesn't deserve to breathe the same air as someone like you. Someone as tender, loving, gorgeous, sexy, funny and generous as you. I only see lovely, beautiful things when I look at you Daryl, things that make my stomach flip with excitement. Things that make my heart sing when you touch me...every time you look at me." Beth gently kissed his soft lips as she closed her eyes, she lingered there for a moment, trying to hold back tears and steady herself before she carried on.

"Please tell me what he said. Let me make it better. Let me take the pain away, Daryl." Beth was gazing down on him with all the love she could find, gently stroking his face with the back of her fingers as she made him look at her.

Daryl was quiet for a moment, his eyes now wide and locked with Beth's as she told him every thing he needed to hear. Her words of acceptance and love made him feel giddy and warm inside. They whirled around his head, clashing with and smashing his pa's hateful words. He knew Beth didn't lie, he knew she only ever told the truth. He didn't want to hide from her or lie to her any more. He wanted her to make it all better for him, he wanted to feel her stroke his hair and take the pain away as he told her everything. For her to tell him it was going to be okay and that she would always love him.

Daryl took a deep breath and started to slowly let it out. "Ma pa...he don't understand why ya'd wanna be with me... he thinks yer jus' usin' me ta get knocked up and that I'm a simple minded idiot for thinkin' ya care about me. He says that ya... do things with anyone that asks ya and that ya don't care 'bout me at all... Beth...he called ya things I can't even say, the words he used were jus' awful. And he said he wanted to do stuff to ya, disgusting, sick things, and he said he'd make me watch so I weren't so useless anymore and could...yunno...properly. He said yer jus' like momma was, a dirty slut that needs teachin' a lesson jus' like she did." Daryl was in tears now, his words shaky and broken as deep sobs wracked through his upper body.

He was so confused. He felt sick at having to tell his sweet Beth the evil, twisted and sick things that spewed from his pa's foul mouth every time he got drunk. Once he started to tell her though, he couldn't stop. He felt like a weight was being lifted, he felt like he could breathe, like he could finally see and think clearly for the first time in years.

"Daryl, look at me baby." Beth felt sick too, she felt like this couldn't really be happening. She gently stroked his hair, rhythmically running her fingers across his scalp to try and soothe him, to make him feel the tiniest bit better. Beth was in tears too now though. She could have just sobbed for weeks. Listening to the man she loved more than life itself poor his heart out to her was more than she could bear. She couldn't deny she was stunned. She never imagined anything this bad. She knew Will Dixon was mean and nasty, she'd lived with the physical evidence of his evil and twisted treatment of his youngest son for years. She also knew he abused Daryl verbally sometimes, but she never knew just how often or how badly.

"Daryl. I love you. I love you so, so much. You hear me. I've loved you from that first time I saw you, and I'll always love you, forever." Beth squeezed herself against Daryl's body and carried on stroking his hair as she kissed along his jaw. "I don't care what that man says about anythin', it's all lies, it's all drunken ramblings from a damaged and evil man. What he says about me isn't true, you know that right? What he says about you isn't true either Daryl, you hear me baby. You do deserve to be loved, you do deserve to be happy and you ain't simple minded or bad. I'll never ever want anyone else. Never. I belong to you, I always have. Tell me you believe me, please...I'm not what he says I am Daryl, I've never looked at anyone else, I never will."

"I'm so sorry Beth... about pa and his ugly awful words. He jus'... well I... he gets me so confused, I don't wanna believe him...I know what he says about ya ain't really true but he's always in ma head, and then I look at ya an' I see how everyone else looks at ya too...like yer perfect, an' ya are, an' then I think he must be right. That I ain't good enough for ya, that I'm too useless to keep ya happy... I know I don't show it but I do love ya Beth… yer ma whole world. If ya ever left me I think I'd jus' die." Daryl's hand had woven itself into the hair at Beth's face now, panic taking him over as he rambled on. His fingers delicately brushed the tears from her cheek as she closed her eyes, tears still freefalling.

"I ain't ever leavin' ya Daryl, never... and no talk a' dyin' neither." Beth smiled at him and kissed his lower lip, lingering there as she watched him close his eyes. She whispered against his mouth. "I think I need to show you how I feel. Words don't explain it properly. I know you're confused baby, that he confuses you with awful, bad words and ideas. If I can show you, you won't be confused anymore, you'll be able to see and feel how much I want you. Please let me show ya how much I love you Daryl, don't push me away...please?...Not after all these years. Not because of that man. Not after all we've been through together. We're so close to startin' over and leavin' him behind." Beth was looking into his very soul now, trying to reach the parts inside of him that had been battered, bruised and almost broken beyond repair by that bastard pa of his.

Her words ignited something inside him this time, a revelation. For the first time in a long time he had hope that Beth perhaps didn't see things the same way he did. Hope that she wasn't repulsed by him because of his pa and the evil that spilled from his filthy mouth and mind. Beth knew it wasn't true and that it was his pa that was mean and bad, not Daryl himself.

He couldn't deny her, he couldn't say no to her. All he wanted was for her to be happy, that's all he'd ever wanted and she deserved to have everything for what she'd put up with. For how she'd cared for him. For how she'd given him a life worth living. And he wanted her. God, he wanted her so bad that he physicall ached inside. He wanted to please her but he didn't know how. He had no idea about sex and his pa had told him over and over he'd never be able to please anyone 'cause he's so useless. His pa always told him women were whore's, just like his momma and Beth. That he was too weak and stupid to keep that little blonde bitch happy for long, she'd just go and find herself a real man, someone who could fuck her good and proper, just how the dirty little whore liked it... it made him feel sick but perhaps his pa was right? How could a dirty scarred redneck like him ever please a perfect pure angel such as Beth? He badly wanted to try though. He wanted to hold on to her and never let her go.

He rolled her onto her back and laid between her legs, not even thinking about her feeling his arousal this time. His hands snaked around the back of her neck and into her hair as he kissed her, pulling her close.

His kisses were always gentle but this time there was something more there too; something exciting, something electric. There was a passion. She'd never felt it before, not even when they'd made love. This kiss was melting her inside, setting her alight.

"What d'ya need me ta do Beth, show me how ta please ya... I'll do anythin' ya want.. please." Daryl was looking at her frantically now, his eyes searching hers for an answer, for help. He suddenly knew his pa was right, he was useless. He didn't even know how to touch her.

"Anythin'… I just want you to touch me Daryl, anywhere... everywhere. Like before. Just put your hands on my body, feel me." Beth's hands were twisting in his hair, her breathing becoming heavy at the sight of the man above her.

His mouth came down to meet hers again, her quickened breathing being met by his low groans. Her small hand grabbed his soft warm one and guided it under her shirt, molding it around her breast before she let go and let him move it on his own. Beth couldn't help but moan out, his hand felt better than she remembered as it caressed her already hardened and sensitive nipple. His tongue was delving deeper into her mouth too, lathing hers gently but with purpose. With a need to do what he could to please her.

Beth pulled away, gasping "I love ya Daryl, yer perfect. Make love to me again." Beth stroked her hand through the hair that had fallen over his eyes, before he lowered his mouth to behind her ear, squeezing his eyes closed and nuzzling softly there for a time.

"I'm sorry I hurt ya Beth...I love ya so much." Daryl murmured the loving words into her soft skin as he kissed her already burning flesh. It sent a shiver through her core, sending a gush of wetness between her legs as her insides started to throb.

Beth needed him. She didn't care they were out in the open, she didn't care they might get caught. Her hands were fumbling at his pants, loosening his belt, pulling down his zipper. Daryl was blushing now, awkwardness taking over as his hands barely continued to run over her body. Brushing over the curves of her waist, her hips and down her legs back up along the inside of her thighs and under her skirt, where he just stopped, afraid to move any closer to the heat radiating from her center.

"It's ok Daryl… jus' touch me. I belong to you...I want ya to touch me anywhere you want. I want you to enjoy it too. Please. It feels so good, it feels like heaven… don't stop." Beth tried to encourage him further, she could see he was about to pull back.

Beth lightly guided his hand upwards to her center. He cupped his hand over her, immediately feeling Beth's arousal seep through the thin lacy material onto his fingers. He could hardly believe he'd already done that to her. Just from kissing her. To feel what he'd done to her made him even harder. He suddenly needed to give her what she wanted. What he'd needed and wanted for so long too.

His fingers slid into her panties, moving slowly over the wetness he'd made, making her moan his name. Oh God, he loved it when she moaned. He surely must be doing something right, something that made her feel good. Beth's hand was curled around him, gently stroking him up and down to the rhythm of his fingertips as they massaged her sensitive spot and played around her entrance.

He buried his face into her neck and groaned. The combination of Beth's hand, warm and firm around him and his hand on her wet slippery center were just too much. He wanted that feeling of his body being inside her again, of losing himself as Beth wrapped herself around him. For a moment he could forget he was useless, he could forget every horrible thing his pa had ever said, she took it all away and she made it better. She always made everything better.

"Oh God Daryl please I need ya inside me… I can't wait." Beth was now arched backwards rubbing hard against his fingers, groaning and panting as she neared orgasm.

"Beth…I ain't got a condom." Daryl sounded as if he was about to erupt, his breathing had almost turned to panting now too. The sight of Beth, the knowledge he was making her feel good, that he was doing things to her body that she liked, was blowing his mind. He really didn't care he had no idea what he was doing, Beth looked like she was in heaven, and he knew he was so he was going to carry on.

"It's okay, I'm on the pill now." Beth was now pushing his pants over his butt and down his legs while Daryl struggled with removing her panties.

Beth pushed and twisted her leg under him and quickly dragged them off, attempting to tug her skirt up as she put her leg back in place around Daryl's hip, but getting it tangled and knocking into him instead. They looked at each other and let out a giggle. The whole situation seemed so funny. Their nerves and clumsiness mixed with an innocent youthful frantic desire to please each other.

They carried on looking at one another, the laugh replaced with a smile as they both realized that neither of them cared that they didn't have a clue what they were doing. They just wanted to enjoy it, like they had the first time. They wanted to repair the damage Will Dixon had done and they both needed the healing closeness that making love would bring them.

"We jus' might have ta keep practicin'… what da ya say Dixon?" Beth almost whispered to him as she gave him one of her huge smiles, the kind that took his breath away.

Daryl's lips crushed into hers, their tongues twirling together as he gently eased himself into her in one long push. It felt even better than the first time, he was naked and she was wet and tight and oh God, the friction as he sunk into her tight body was just amazing. He was slow and careful but Beth still whimpered and sucked in a deep breath as he penetrated her fully. "D'ya want me ta stop…I'm hurtin' ya ain't I?" Daryl almost pulled back out, even though he was just about to climax, unsure if he should carry on and feeling useless once again, his fathers words echoing in his head, bringing him back from the brink.

"Nooooo, God no, keep goin'…don't dare stop... it feels so amazin'...I just gotta get used to it." Beth smiled at him, before whispering the next bit. "I think yer kinda big!" Beth was now giggling, gripping on to his butt, holding him in place between her legs.

Daryl started to blush, but grinned at her, spurred on by her loving words of encouragement. "Tell me if it hurts ya." He started to move, slowly slipping in and out of her as he watched her beautiful face smiling up at him, a gentle moan leaving her lips every time he pushed into her.

The sensation of stretching around him, burning because it was all so new and throbbing from his touch moments earlier had Beth on the edge.

"Ohhhhhh Daryl that's so good, keep goin'… ohhhhhh, God yer gonna make me come. Oh that feels...aarrhhhh yeah just there. Deeper." Beth was now panting in time with his thrusts, grabbing his hair and pulling him into her as she screamed incoherent words of praise to Daryl.

Daryl enthusiastically opened her shirt and tugged her bra down, kissing her breast while gently sliding in and out of her center. He wanted to keep going forever, he never wanted this feeling to end. This feeling of complete and utter acceptance and of love as he moved deep within Beth's perfect body. The knowledge Beth was enjoying him doing this to her, enjoying him being inside her gave him a confidence that he'd never had before. Beth had started to move her hips against him now, setting a rhythm as he ploughed into her, slapping her flesh hard against his. He was so close now, the surge of euphoria he felt that first time they made love was back again, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself and closed his eyes tightly, waiting for that moment when his world existed of nothing but Beth.

_Then everything around him went bright and quiet. He was still buried inside Beth, they were still making love but they weren't at the creek anymore and the feeling of release was momentarily gone. They were in a dimly lit bedroom, he was knelt on all fours over Beth's body as she lay spread-eagled on a soft plush bed. She was naked except for a black satin blindfold and metal wrist and ankle restraints which were tethering her to the top and bottom of the metal bedframe. He was kissing her softly, his lips moving gently over her throat as she swallowed softly. Beth writhed as much as the restraints would allow, metal clinking against metal. Daryl carried on kissing her, his tongue lapping at her sensitive flesh as he carefully closed a cold metal clamp around one of Beth's already erect nipples. She hissed through clenched teeth at the pain, panting and gasping before the pain turned to pleasure, ripping through her body as fast as the blood in her veins. She was begging him to do it again, her voice filled with love and trust. He lowered his mouth to her chest and licked over her other nipple, tugging and sucking it between his teeth as she chanted his name. He waited a second before he attached the second clamp onto her perfect and now wet nipple, waiting for her reaction. Beth gasped again, the sound of which almost took him to his own orgasm. She thrust her hips upwards, begging him to take her and use her, as the chains and cuffs rattled loudly in the quiet room. He grabbed under her ass as he adjusted his position above her and quickly and sharply buried himself inside her, his free hand now kneading her breasts and tugging on the clamps as she mumbled and moaned under him. He picked up the pace, whispering filthy words against her throat as he looked along their bodies, watching as his cock pounded in and out of the woman he loved, taking them both closer to climax. He could feel Beth's center start to tighten and throb..._

Daryl was back at the creek, his daydream gone, leaving him with a new found enthusiasm for sex. He carried on moving, in faster longer, more urgent strokes now as Beth was already climaxing around him, those last long thrusts hitting her deep inside. She clamped around him, holding him tight as she tumbled over the edge calling his name, but for real this time.

Daryl was only seconds behind her, one last thrust taking him to the release he'd needed for weeks. He stiffened and exploded inside her as Beth continued to ride out her own climax; pleasurable ripples still coursing through her center until she could feel only a wonderful euphoria. It slowly subsided, changing to a warm glow and an exquisite feeling of fullness and completeness.

Daryl collapsed onto her chest, panting heavily across her shoulder as a smile of contentment began to settle on his lips. He didn't know what the hell he'd just seen, but whatever it was had excited him and aroused him more than he ever thought possible. He didn't feel ashamed either, not one bit, not like he had that time on the bridge. He'd liked it all... the absolute feeling of power, the thrill of being in charge... but mostly the way Beth had reacted to him, how much she liked what he was doing to her. He was overflowing with happiness, a feeling he hadn't had since the night of her birthday. His pa had soon knocked that high out of him though, bringing him back to the awful reality that was Daryl's existence.

He knew his pa was wrong now though. Beth did love him and she didn't care about all the bad ugly things. She wasn't going to leave him. And he _had _just made her happy. He'd just made love to her and watched as she climaxed because of him, singing his name. He also knew once he never had to see that evil old bastard again, he could keep making her happy, forever. That's what he'd just seen, their future. Their happy future.

Daryl rolled off of Beth and lay next to her, pulling her tight into his chest as if to stop it bursting open with joy. He closed his eyes. He had a sudden overwhelming need to ask Beth to let him _do things_ to her. Different things that were probably weird and twisted but at the same time, wonderful too. Things that made him harder than he'd ever been before. Things that she'd enjoy, that would send her spiralling into an abyss of delicious and painful ecstasy. He wanted to hear her moan as he used her body... God he loved to hear her moan his name, he felt powerful, in control. He needed her to say she wanted to be punished, he wanted to hear his sweet Beth beg him to fuck her. To say that she'd never want anyone else. That it was him, always him.

Almost daydreaming again, he held her left hand and started to twirl her ring between his fingers as more thoughts ran riot in his head. He couldn't help but hope that maybe, just maybe all their plans would work out in the end. It was just one more year. He knew she'd give him the strength he needed. And one day soon he knew he would be ready to take her to places she could only dream of, give her all the pleasure and happiness she deserved for taking such good care of him all these long years.

**Saturday, May 11th 2002. Savannah, GA.**

They'd arrived in Savannah with about half an hour to spare the following morning. The drive had been easy, but at that time of the morning they'd expected it to be. Daryl had slept in the spare room at Beth's, he told his pa he was going fishing and hunting the whole weekend and wouldn't be back until after school on Monday. His pa was angry and shouting something at him but Daryl ran out quickly and just hoped by the time he got back his pa would've forgotten all about it. That's what usually happened when the older Dixon drank too much, couldn't even remember his own name. The stupid dumb fucker.

They'd spent the whole of the day looking around the college campus. It was huge, so many buildings, each for different programs, spread out over miles. They knew they wouldn't be together all day once they started here, their lectures would keep them apart. Daryl would be studying for a BFA Architecture, probably majoring in architectural design and Beth would be taking a BFA Interior design with a major in historic preservation. But as long as they could start fresh, just them, they didn't mind spending more time apart than they ever had done before. It would take some getting used to but it would be worth it.

Daryl had spent years drawing plans for Beth, just Beth. High rise buildings, houses, apartments blocks, cabins, even stables for her horses. But since Beth's birthday those dreams had more often than not, included himself. Beth would attach his drawings to the walls in their stall in her daddy's barn. She'd go ahead and make plans for what the interiors would look like, the vibrant colors, the rich textures, the opulent furniture, the smooth curves to contrast the sleek sharp lines of his ideas. They were always such beautiful creations he came up with. Her favorite being 'their house'. He promised her over and over that he would build it for them one day when he was far away from this life. Beth always just told him she didn't want anything fancy and she'd be happy living in a shack as long as she was with him. But he was determined to build it anyway…just for them… and their little blonde haired daughter that he'd seen more than once in his thoughts and dreams of late.

Some parts of the tour they'd stayed together for, the admin block, student services, residence halls, eating places and all the other communal areas.

Daryl had squeezed onto Beth's hand as they'd been shown the accommodation for Freshmen and whispered to her "We ain't stayin' 'ere… we're gonna get someplace nearby… no way are ya sleepin' in this God awful place Beth Greene." then he looked at her and smiled.

"What about Beth Dixon… maybe she'd like ta sleep here?" Beth whispered back as she squeezed his hand and grinned at him mischievously. She knew he wouldn't be able to say anything at the moment, there were too many people and it was too quiet. She knew they'd talk about it later though.

It was the only thing they hadn't made any firm plans on. Since Daryl had given her that beautiful ring last month she just wanted to do it. Get married as soon as possible, even though he hadn't really proposed to her yet. That didn't bother her, she knew after yesterday it was what he wanted. But he wanted to wait, to do it right and proper but she never was bothered about right and proper. She never needed fancy. She just wanted to be Mrs. Daryl Dixon, to show the world that Daryl was hers forever.

She thought maybe he was a little nervous about asking her daddy and telling her family, although she had no idea why. She knew they'd all figured years ago Daryl would 'officially' become part of the family one day anyhow. He'd already been accepted as part of Beth years ago. They were like two sides of the same coin; unbreakable and together forever. Her father had known how she'd felt about Daryl before Beth had even realized. Her family adored him.

After the main tour had finished for the day Daryl dragged Beth off to the realtors on Abercorn. Daryl was determined they should get their own place, especially since seeing what the alternative was. He didn't want to be cooped up with strangers, curfews and rules. He'd had enough of that, he'd had eighteen years of that. He wanted to make his own rules now and break them if he wanted with no one to punish him.

They sat in the truck for a while in the parking lot of the office, Beth unsure about the whole thing.

"There ain't no harm in lookin', I know it ain't 'til next year but we can check out details and costs."

"Where exactly will we get the money from Daryl? They won't come cheap, even the tiny ones." Beth didn't really care where they lived but she supposed it would be nice to have their own place and she'd like to do it for Daryl's sake.

"I'll get a job, take out a loan…I want ya to have somewhere nice, somewhere ya can put all those fancy ideas a' yers to use…yunno make it all homely and stuff." Daryl had started to blush again. He supposed it was because he was getting so excited about something so stupid.

He'd never had a home though, no nice things or possessions. No nice decorations or comforts. He supposed that was why he was always creating images of beautiful things. As much as he enjoyed being at the farm, it wasn't his. It wasn't something him and Beth had created. That was what made this exciting.

"Daryl Dixon are ya asking me ta live in sin with ya? And ya ain't the only one who can get a job. I can pull my weight ya know… we might be able to afford it then. Daddy said he'd give me an allowance every month too so we can see." Beth grinned and leaned over and kissed him.

"It ain't livin' in sin if we're married is it?" Daryl turned and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her across the seats and into his chest.

"Daryl was that a proposal? If it was, ya do know the answer's 'yes' don't ya?" Beth snaked her arms around his neck and started to kiss around his ear, her hands playing in his hair excitedly.

"Nah not a proposal, jus' a thought is all. I ain't proposin' in the front a' yer daddy's truck, but maybe before college." Daryl grabbed her face between his hands and kissed her.

"We goin' in now then or what?" Daryl smiled and grabbed her hand, dragging Beth behind him as he got out of the truck.

The next morning before they had to be back on campus they viewed a couple of places that they were told would be vacant by next summer, the current occupants being seniors, so they were available for new tenants to reserve if anyone wanted to. Beth fell in love with a small one bedroom apartment, 1712 Abercorn Street. The rent was reasonable and if she and Daryl both found part time work, along with her daddy's allowance they would be able to afford it. They might not be doing a lot else… ever, but they could just about afford it.

Daryl was determined they should put down the deposit. He'd work two jobs if he had to. If it meant Beth got what she wanted. What she deserved.

They had an hour or so before they had to be back at the college so Daryl dropped Beth back at the hotel to pack their case ready for leaving later while he told her he needed to do something. Beth had looked at him strangely but hadn't said anything.

Daryl went back to the realtors and paid the deposit and signed the contract. Hershel had taken Daryl to one side before they'd left yesterday and given him $1000 and told him to use it for whatever made Beth happy. Well, this was going to make Beth happy so he went with it. But he would be paying Hershel back, it was his job to look after Beth now.

The rest of the day went quickly, more talks and an overload of information. An orientation of the whole campus and sample lesson plans and timetables and important dates. Then due dates for course fees, which is when financial aid got discussed again. Beth had looked at Daryl, widening her eyes at him in the hope he'd change his mind and apply. His look told her he wasn't going to.

As Beth had already checked out of the hotel and loaded their case back into the truck they managed to get away from Savannah by around 5 p.m. It would be late by the time they got back to Senoia and as Daryl had already told his pa he wouldn't see him until Monday Daryl was going to have to stay at the farm again. Beth's insides flipped at the thought they could be together again. Obviously he wasn't allowed to stay in her room, he slept in the spare room, his room, but that hadn't stopped them the other night.

Daryl had seemed keener than he usually did but he'd still been awkward with the whole thing. Beth had to take the lead again. She wondered if he'd ever find the courage to touch her first, make a move on her. She wondered how many times they'd have to do it before he realized she was utterly and completely his. She wondered if being his wife would make the difference. If he would finally acknowledge she was, always had been and always would be, his. His in every single way possible.

"Where d'ya go earlier Daryl? Ya ain't already got another woman have ya? Been in Savannah twenty four hours and already found someone new, huh?" Beth looked at him and giggled as she leaned her head back onto the headrest.

"Yeah like that's ever gonna happen…yunno I'm only ever gonna love one person. The same person I've always loved." He didn't look at Beth, just kept driving. She could see the color rising to his cheeks so just put her hand on his knee and rubbed along his thigh.

"And I love ya too. More than you'll ever know."

They were quiet for a while, both just staring out onto the highway that stretched out for miles in front of them.

"Don't be mad at me Beth…. But I paid the deposit on that apartment ya loved." Daryl stole a glance at her to see what her reaction was. Hoping this wasn't going to be the first major argument they'd ever had.

Beth was quiet for a moment and Daryl's heart almost burst through his ribs it was pounding so hard. He glanced at her again expecting to see anger but all that met him was the start of a huge grin and bright shining happy eyes. His heart skipped a few beats before it slowed to its normal rhythm once more.

"Thank you…" Beth leaned across and kissed his cheek, leaning her head into his shoulder "Yunno I sometimes wonder how it was fate that day daddy got a flat all those years ago. If he hadn't I'd never have spoken to ya, I'd never have known ya, I'd never have met my best friend and my soul mate." Daryl looked down at her and kissed her hair not saying a word. What could he say? She was right. Hershel's flat tire had saved Daryl's life.


	7. Chapter 7: Graduation

**A/N Hey guys...this is just a warning that this chapter has another dose of Will Dixon. There is bad language and violence, but there is also little bits of goodness too!**

**Thanks so much to everyone that continues to review and follow this story... it is very much appreciated. **

**Please enjoy! Lola & eReedus xx**

**The Hunger**

**Chapter Seven - Graduation **

**Friday, May 23rd 2003. Senoia, GA.**

The week leading up to graduation was tense to say the least. Daryl knew better than to say anything to his pa about it. Hell, he never said one word to his pa anyway unless he was asked directly. He was hoping that his pa wouldn't notice anything about graduation and he could fly under the radar for a few more months until his plans with Beth and college came through. If he could just manage that, Daryl would finally be free from this hell.

Daryl's pa still looked for any reason to take a hand to him, even though Daryl was taller than him and outweighed him by 20 pounds or more. Daryl's education was always a good source for Will Dixon's wrath. He liked to say Daryl was "gettin' all hoighty-toity" and "needed ta be brought down a notch". Graduation would be the perfect excuse for a monumental beat-down if his pa learned about it.

Daryl figured he would have no such luck that he wouldn't find out, though. Everyone was putting up those damn signs in their front yards, "Congrats Justin, Class of 2003", "Congrats Wendy, Phi Kappa '03". Wal-Mart even had a whole section of graduation party paraphernalia set up when you walked in the door. The real problem, though, was that the bank sign in town was flashing the top ten nonstop. Daryl had finished fourth in his class, so his name had been on that sign in neon every 20 seconds for the past week. While it made Daryl feel real good seeing his name up there in front of everyone, he was terrified of the moment when his pa or one of his pa's buddies noticed. Graduation day came, though, and no beating. Daryl was just about to leave for Beth's, where he had left his cap and gown, when his pa caught him by surprise, blocking the door. "Where you think ya goin' boy? Ta see that little whore a yourn?"

Daryl's face turned bright red, but he didn't comment on Beth, not after what happened the last time, he didn't want the confrontation, not today. "Nah. Goin' huntin'."

"S'that so? Huh! Well ya best be back here by dark with some dinner, in that case, oughten ya?" His pa was in his face, sneering at him. Daryl knew right then that tonight wasn't going to be easy. The only thing he could hope for was that his pa got too drunk to notice he didn't get back with a catch. Daryl just nodded and ducked past him in a run, careful to glance back to keep an eye on the older Dixon until Daryl was far enough down the drive that he couldn't see the dirty old shack anymore.

Graduation was boring as hell but Daryl was excited the whole time. He managed not to die of embarrassment during the ceremony, even though he had to stand up when they announced the top ten and again when he received his diploma. He expected to hear nothing but silence when his name was called, but there were actually lots of cheers. It seemed everyone cheered everyone else on at graduation, even if they didn't particularly know or like the people they were cheering for. It embarrassed him further but it was nice at the same time. Beth's beaming face farther down in his row was the best part of the whole thing. She always seemed proud of him, but even more so today. One voice stood out in the shouts and catcalls when they announced his name and Daryl strained his neck to figure out if he was just imagining it.

"Whoooeeee, boy! Git it!" Daryl spotted him leaning nonchalantly against the side of the auditorium bleachers with a great big shit-eating grin on his face. Daryl had never expected Merle would show up here. Hell, he hadn't seen hide nor hair of him since he just up and left five years ago. The last time he'd seen Merle, the older brother had gotten between Daryl and his pa. Merle had told him ta go on out to the woods for a while. When Daryl returned, his pa was passed out and Merle and all his things were long gone. His pa hadn't gotten out of bed for a week after that because Merle had done such a number on him. Served the bastard right. Daryl's beatings had been fewer and farther between after that – even if they were all the more brutal when they did happen.

Merle was really here at Daryl's graduation and Daryl couldn't be happier about it. Daryl retrieved his diploma and sat back down as the other rows of graduates slowly streamed forward for their diplomas. He looked for his brother again to make sure he hadn't imagined him. No, there he was by the bleachers, but now Merle was preoccupied by a pretty blonde as she whispered in his ear and pointed out another woman standing close to them. Daryl had never seen the blonde before, but she suddenly looked at Daryl as if she had felt his eyes on her. She winked and grinned at him gleefully and Daryl wondered if he had met her once, she seemed familiar somehow but he couldn't remember. The woman gave him a little wave and faded into the crowd. Daryl's eyes found Merle again as he checked out a tiny little brunette standing beside him - the woman the blonde had pointed out. The woman was oblivious to Merle's approving glances, though, as she only had eyes for Daryl. Bright blue shining eyes, to be exact. Erika was there, staring at him from his brother's side. The look on Erika's face was not her usual calming smile, though. Not the one Daryl was used to seeing. Today the look on her face was one of fierce intensity and her eyes were practically snapping with electricity as she stared at Daryl. It put him on edge and, honestly, scared him though he didn't understand why.

Erika broke her gaze on Daryl as Merle leaned in and whispered something in her ear with a cocky grin. Daryl literally groaned at the thought of what Merle might have said. By the look of amazed bewilderment on Erika's face, Daryl could guess pretty accurately the content of his brother's comment. Daryl watched Erika and Merle with amusement as Erika narrowed her flashing eyes at his brother and responded curtly with a flip of her hair. Daryl saw it coming, and he silently prayed for Merle not to do it…but he did anyway. Merle grinned at the pretty girl in his sights and quickly slapped her on the butt, grinning like a fool. Daryl read his lips as he leaned into Erika again. _Spitfire…I like that._ Erika's mouth hung open and her eyes were completely round as she looked upward as if she were asking God to help her not kill Daryl's brother. Daryl was distracted by a loud applause, signaling the end of the graduation ceremony. When he looked back to the bleachers, Merle and Erika were both gone.

After the ceremony, Hershel took a few photographs of Daryl and Beth. Daryl then started searching the faces around him for his brother. He also hoped to spot Erika. It felt right that she was there tonight. He was always glad to see her and especially here and now. "Who ya lookin' for? Yer fairy godmother, Cinderella? Maybe yer guardian angel or somethin'?"

"Merle!" His brother had him in a "bro hug" suddenly and clasping him on the back. Daryl was still a bit sore from the belt from two weeks ago but he ignored it. It was good to be back in the presence of his big brother. There was bright flash and a snap as Beth caught them in a quick surprise photo. "Merle, you remember Beth don'tcha?"

"Hmmm. Yeeeah. I remember somethin' about a little blondie. Were you the cross-eye'd one or the one with the wooden peg leg, sugar?"

"Haha. Merle. I see you ain't lost yer sense of humor. Daryl was gonna come back to my house for a little celebratin'. You wanna join us?" Beth had never seen anything but the good in Merle, and Daryl appreciated that. Merle may have been a rough man, but he wasn't a bad man. He thought Merle understood and appreciated Beth's vision of him, too, though he never said anything about it. Merle was always kind and less crude the few times he had been in her presence and that said something. Beth had told him that she _loved_ Merle because he was part of Daryl and because he had tried, at least some of the time, to protect him from his pa.

"Naw sweet thang. I reckon I'm gonna check on dear ol' dad while I'm in town, then I'm gonna scat outta here. Tommy Besson told me my baby brother had gone all bookish since I'd been gone. Had ta come see the proof fer myself. Name all up in lights in town an everythin'. How bout that?"

"He deserves it Merle. He's been workin' hard. Already accepted into Savannah Arts College. We both start in the fall. Maybe ya shouldn't make yerself such a stranger all the time. You might miss somethin' important." Beth was grinning like a Cheshire cat at Merle.

Daryl cringed at how Merle might react to this news. But he was about to be surprised. Merle stepped forward, grabbed Beth's hand, and kissed the top of it gently. "I heard bout all that, too. It's all real good. Ya both done real good. I'm right proud of my baby brother and you too lil' sis. That's the God's honest truth." He was looking at Daryl when he said it, then turned his eyes back to Beth and winked, kissing her hand once more. Beth was absolutely beaming, and Daryl couldn't fight a goofy shy smile that had crept onto his face. "Now, would you mind an awful lot if I borrowed my baby brother for a bit? I'll drop him back at yer place in a little while. That be ok wit'cha?"

"Sure. I bet you and Daryl have got a little catchin' up ta do. Take yer time and I'll see ya back at my house later." She reached up and gave Daryl a grin that took his breath away and a quick chaste kiss. Then she was gone back into the crowd. Daryl had to fight the urge to push in after her and leave his brother standing there alone. Daryl loved Merle, but he didn't like the look that had bled back onto his face. It was Merle's dangerous face, the one that said there was trouble just around the turn. He wanted Beth back to steady his nerves.

"I like that girl, brother. She's good fer ya. I can see that." They started walking toward the parking lot and Daryl removed his cap and gown and folded them neatly. When they reached the truck, Merle leaned back against the side and gave his brother an appraising look. "Tell me. You simple or somethin', little brother?"

"Pfff." Daryl didn't know how to respond to that, so he just didn't say anything.

"She's a good girl, Daryl. I get it. But ya been flauntin' her around here like nobody was gonna notice. Even got yer name plastered all over town like a movie star. What'd ya think our dear ole pappy was gonna do when his idiot ass found out whatcha been up ta? Hmm? You gotta death wish or somethin'?"

"Don't care. I'm at the finish line and I'm out of this place. Beth just told ya. We got plans. I don't have anythin' to be afraid of. Not anymore."

"Oh yes you do. I meant what I said earlier. Ya done real good, but ya should have been quiet about it. Got ready and just left like I did. Pa already knows all about everythin', no wonder with the way this town spews at the mouth. He's been runnin' his trap about how he's gonna put ya in yer place once an fer all. Lucky for you I still have a few friends around good enough ta let me know. I had to come all the way from Chattanooga to warn yer ass. I would tell ya best not go back there, but he knows where ya'd be if ya didn't."

Daryl got exactly where Merle was going with this and it infuriated him. He suddenly felt like he grew a foot taller and he looked his brother right in the eye. "He ain't gettin' anywhere near Beth or her family. They're good people. They don't need any of his kinda trouble. An I'll tell ya what else Merle…"

"AHEM." A polite female voice interrupted. Both Dixon brothers turned to find Erika standing right next to them. "Excuse me, sorry to interrupt."

"Aww naw, sweet thang. Yer not an interruption at all. Knew ya'd be back around ta talk to ol' Merle. Yer blondie friend said ya would be. Just couldn't stay away, could ya?" Merle's cocky swagger never ceased to amaze Daryl.

By the look on Erika's face, she was pretty amazed herself. "Ahum, yes, well I don't know what friend you're talking about but… I, uh, actually needed to speak to Daryl. For a moment…in private…Merle. Uh, Mr. Dixon." Daryl was barely containing his laughter. Merle was looking Erika up and down, practically molesting her with his eyes. Erika, in turn was actually blushing and flustered. Daryl wouldn't have imagined it. "You… stop that!" Erika swatted in Merle's general direction indignantly as he laughed at her consternation. "And you, Daryl, come over her for a moment. AWAY from your brother. My God in Heaven, that…man!"

Daryl was actually chuckling now as Erika led him over to the back of the truck. Merle frowned at them as he got in and watched them in the rear view mirror. "Daryl…" That intense look was back on her face, the one that scared him. "Oh, my boy. Don't be afraid." Erika leaned up and brushed back his bangs, touching a spot on Daryl's forehead gently and for just a moment she looked almost sad before her features changed to a big smile for him. "I just… well, first I wanted to tell you how proud I am of you. You've worked so hard and you are such a good boy." Daryl felt his heart swell at Erika's words and he fought not to tear up. The look on Erika's face had changed again though. It made Daryl dizzy how fast Erika changed moods and thoughts. Now she looked…scared? "And you just… you stay with your brother tonight, Daryl. I don't want you out of his sight, do you understand me?" For a moment Daryl felt a familiar warm comforting feeling surround him like an embrace. The feeling was interrupted by the loud honk of Merle's horn. "Let's get this show on the road, huh?" Erika was suddenly gone, as usual. She had disappeared while Daryl was distracted by Merle.

As Daryl slid into the truck seat, Merle looked at him sideways. "Ya wanna tell me about yer other girl now? She ain't exactly like Beth but she _is _smokin hot. Didn't take my little bro ta be the girl-on-the-side type, though. Ain't too fair to lil sis, ya know?" Was Merle Dixon actually lecturing Daryl because he thought he was cheating on Beth?! Daryl was amazed and proud of his brother. He must really like Beth to say something like that.

Daryl quickly corrected his brother, though. "Nah, ain't like that. Erika's a friend. Uh… a tutor. For school, ya know?" Merle looked at him skeptically and rolled his eyes. Daryl had enough. He got loud and pointed his finger in his brother's face, not even caring about the possible consequences. "Ya best shut up, Merle! I said it ain't like that and I'll kick yer teeth in if ya keep insinuatin' such."

Merle sighed and looked approvingly at his little brother again and whistled. "Well looky ch'ere. Darylina grew a pair whilst I was away. That's inspirin'." Merle let out with his cocky laugh then grew suddenly serious again. "Well? We best go on and sort this mess out with that old bastard now, then."

As Daryl rode shotgun in Merle's truck he cast wary glances at his big brother, wondering where this was going - how far it would go. Truth be told, Daryl was scared. Erika told him not to be, but she wasn't very convincing this time around. The warning she gave chilled him. _Stay with your brother… I don't want you out of his sight._ But Daryl actually didn't know if he was more scared of his pa or of Merle. Either one could do a lot of damage but the idea of the two of them together was a terrifying concept.

Daryl thought on for a while before he said anything to his brother. Finally, he broke the silence. "Merle...I don't want Beth's name brought inta this. Don't mention her. I'm just gonna tell him about college and that's it."

"That ain't it little brother. He ain't just gonna say congratulations and give ya a friendly pat on the butt like some little league football coach. He always did look for any excuse to lay inta ya and this is bad."

Merle made a show out of spinning the tires into the driveway, sure to let the old man know they'd arrived. It was just Merle's style. Merle didn't move to get out, though. Daryl just looked at him for a minute trying to figure out his plan. "Ya go on in and tell 'im. I'll be right here waitin'...What? Ya didn't think I's here ta hold ya hand and make kissy-faces at ya, did ya? Get outta here man! Go on."

Daryl's dad was sat on the ratty broke down couch with an almost empty bottle of whiskey in his hand when he went in. Daryl just stood to the side waiting. "It's late boy. Where's ma dinner?" Daryl didn't even have time to answer before the heavy bottle was thrown at his head. Daryl wasn't quick enough to dodge it. His pa had always had good aim even as drunk as he was. "Ya little lyin' shit. I know where ya was, up there at tha school flouncin' around bein' all fancy. Ya think yer real smart don'cha?" Daryl's vision was blurred and there was blood in his eye. His father had managed to strike him on the forehead right where Erika had touched him earlier in the night.

Daryl didn't even see the punch to his gut coming before he was on the floor on his hands and knees gasping for breath. His pa took the advantage and made a swift hard kick at his chest, sending Daryl sprawling onto his back. "Ya think yer so much better than me don'cha? Ya always have. It was the way that bitch babied ya when ya was little. I knew though. I knew the first time I laid eyes on ya. Ya ain't nothin' but a dirty lil' fuck up, never will be. Ya go on an lie to yerself, let that lil' blonde bitch lie ta ya, dress up fancy and read fancy books. It won't change nothin'. One day that little whore'll wake up and run from ya. She'll see the truth about what ya really are an you'll be right back here under my boot. The only place you'll ever deserve ta be. Ya know it, too. Ya know it's the truth."

Those words cut deep and echoed around in Daryl's head as he tried to focus. His head was spinning, something about this situation seemed so familiar to Daryl as if he had been here before. _Under my boot. Ya know it's the truth. A glinting knife. Gushing red._ Daryl shook his head and was brought back to the present. The truth of everything his father had just said paired with those shots he'd uttered at his Beth infuriated Daryl and he blinked back the memory of the premonition all those years ago. That wasn't real, it was just a dream. This was real, here and now, and Daryl decided he was going to deal with it once and for all.

When his old man brought his boot down to stomp his abdomen, Daryl grabbed it and twisted, bringing the older man down on top of him. Will Dixon may have been an awful drunk, but he was scrappy and hard. Daryl was seeing red and he was scrappy himself, hardened by 18 years of brutality at this man's hands. The fight that ensued was brutal. Swinging, kicking, spitting, and dodging. Daryl had never fought back before, not properly, but this time he was incensed. He was so close to freedom and he saw this as his last desperate move to safety. Daryl was actually getting the upper hand and had his dad in a headlock when Will pulled his switchblade and took a swipe at Daryl. The blade glinted at Daryl dangerously in warning. Daryl instantly backed off but Will rushed him, the blade slicing into the tender flesh of Daryl's abdomen. He only managed to shove his pa away feebly and grab at the wound trying to ease the gush of blood. _I'll be damned_, Daryl thought as he helplessly watched the blood falling to the floor. Maybe it hadn't been a dream after all.

His pa was coming at him again when they both heard the click and snap of a pistol hammer. It stopped Will in his tracks when he noticed Merle standing in the doorway. "Ya gonna kill 'im pop? Why bother? He ain't nothin' worth yer time surely? Definitely not worth a bullet in yer brain so's ya best back off old man." Daryl's vision was blurring again from the fight, the bottle to his head, and the gush of the blood loss down his side. He knew he wouldn't be able to stay conscious much longer. "Daryl go on an get to the truck. Me and daddy's gonna talk a minute."

Daryl had just made it to the door of the truck and onto the seat when he heard the gunshot. He almost fell out of the seat trying to get back to his feet to return to his brother. Erika's warning to him echoed in his head. _Stay with your brother. I don't want you out of his sight._ But Daryl had left him despite Erika's warnings and now the consequences were going to be Daryl's fault. Merle would never kill someone. Not even their sorry old man. He knew that, so Daryl thought his pa must have gotten the gun from Merle somehow and... Surely Merle was ok… Oh God please let him be ok.

Daryl's stomach heaved and he was sick on the ground beside the truck and he was seeing black spots. The next thing he knew, strong arms had hold of him. Daryl struggled against his father's steely grip, but he'd gotten too weak to fight any more. Daryl's last thought was of Beth. He didn't want her seeing all of this ugliness, him dead like this. He should have just followed her back into that crowd at graduation, lived in the barn at her farm and never come back to this place. He realized that even if he had somehow been worthy of admittance, heaven wouldn't hold a candle to being with Beth. He had been so close and he lost everything. He called her name desperately as the darkness took him.

Merle had panicked when he returned to the truck and found Daryl in such a state. He was certain his brother was dying.

Panic was a foreign notion for the older Dixon brother. There wasn't much in this world that Merle Dixon cared about enough to panic over. Daryl, though, was one of the very few things that was dear to Merle. Sure, he'd been gone. Left the little 'un alone with that bastard, but Merle knew that his being gone was better that his being there. Merle knew he was just like his pa; worthless, crude, sick in the head, and a right mean bastard when it came down to it. The best thing for someone as sweet as his baby brother was for him to have less bad things in his life rather than more and that's all Merle figured he could do for Daryl. So he went. Before he became any more like his pop or he finally decided to kill the bastard. Or both.

He was there tonight though. By some strange twist of fate, he'd been pulled here. Damned ol Tommy Besson had called him up out of the blue to tell him what Daryl'd been up to and what he'd overheard Will Dixon ranting about at the bar yesterday. Tommy Besson was a meth head among other things and everyone knew it. Hell, Merle had sold him enough of the drug every week to kill a horse. How in the hell Tommy ever got together enough brain cells to figure out his pa's threat and that he should notify Merle…well Merle would never know. It had to be divine intervention, he reckoned.

Merle had seriously thought about it. Pulling the trigger. Takin the old man out and making the world a bit of a better place. He'd even squeezed the trigger slightly before hearing an echo in his head. The voice just said DON'T. Over and over until he listened. Merle made that bastard think he was going to though. Ha! Shot over his head into the wall right behind where that bastard sat on the couch all day long and waited for his government check to come. The sorry ass pissed his pants and Merle had laughed in his face before returning to the truck. Served him right.

Merle didn't realize Daryl was in such a sorry state until he got back outside. Daryl was sick and delirious. He was calling for Merle, asking God for him to save his brother, and he was calling for his girl over and over, too. It broke Merles tiny stone cold heart and he had the right mind to go back into the house and finish his pa off. But Daryl was more important. Merle picked him up off the ground and wrestled him into the truck. Even in his unfortunate state Daryl fought him. Called him all kinds of horrible things, told him he was gonna kill him – to get outta his way so he could help his brother. Then Daryl had finally lost consciousness and Merle panicked even more.

He knew a hospital was out of the question. He'd already heard their pa screaming about calling the police on them. The only thing he could think was to get Daryl to his girl. Her family were proper folks and maybe they would know what to do. Because Merle sure as hell didn't. When he pulled in the drive Beth Greene was already waiting on the porch wearing a big smile. This wasn't going to be pleasant, Merle thought. As soon as Beth Greene caught sight of Daryl, she started screaming. Her whole family came running out to help.

Merle noted that Beth wasn't screaming "like a girl" but in a rage. A rage not even aimed at Merle, which he thought it should be, but at Will Dixon and God and fate and any other injustice she could think of to blame for his brother's current state – except Merle. Beth Greene was frightening in that moment and Merle made a note never to get on her bad side. She'd given her own brother Shawn a black eye when he had to drag her away from Daryl to let her pop take a look at the wounds. Merle actually had to step in and help the guy wrestle and hold her to the ground until she calmed down.

When Beth stopped screaming and thrashing, Shawn let go and ran to help the others carry Daryl into the house. Beth grabbed hold of Merle before he could get away and she just squeezed him as they watched Daryl be taken inside. She surprised Merle again after a moment when she finally spoke to him. "You're an angel, Merle Dixon. It's a good thing you were here tonight. Ya did the right thing by bringin' him home. He'll be fine now. You will be, too." Her shining eyes were looking at him with a love he didn't deserve and it humbled him.

"Ain't no angel, sis. Shoulda been quicker, done more. Home, huh?"

"Yeah. This is his real home and you belong here, too. This wasn't yer fault, Merle. It was comin' and I knew it. It was always comin'. I feel like that, too... that I wasn't quick enough. Shoulda never let him go back there. He won't after tonight. I promise you. You can stay, you're welcome here too. Always."

Merle believed she really felt that way. And he believed his brother would be ok now, too. He was safe wherever Beth Greene was. That's why Merle thought it was best for him to go. "Gotta go, sugar. Police'll be here soon I'm pretty sure. Ya might want ta warn yer pop. Daryl didn't do anything wrong, but I mighta caused a problem."

He pulled her to her feet and pushed Beth towards the house. "Go on and watch over 'im."

She turned and pulled on Merle's arm, though. "No Merle, you stay here with us. We'll talk to the police and work it out."

"Ain't just the police, girl. Believe me, its best I get as far from here as possible." He tried to tell her, tried to explain with his eyes that he was bad. Pleaded with her to push him away for her own good, for his brother's. But she wouldn't. Damn girl had nothing but love and understanding in her eyes. He couldn't resist stepping forward and planting a sweet kiss on her forehead. It was the best he could do to say thank you. He wasn't so good with words. "Go on in tha house now. Git!" And he turned and headed back to his truck before she could see the tears in his eyes.

Merle had taken the back roads, hoping to miss the cops that he was certain were looking for him. When he came to Abernathy's old covered bridge, he was shocked to find a figure standing there as if she was waiting for him. It was the girl from graduation, the one with the pretty blue eyes. When he pulled up on the bridge, she hopped into the truck, looking sadly but not surprised at the blood stains on the upholstery and on Merle's shirt. "Uh, don't worry about that. Just a little brawl's all."

"Mmmm. I know Merle. Daryl's ok though. Thanks to you." Then she smiled at him. Merle's heart gave a little flip at that smile and those eyes that seemed to look through him. "You're a good man, Merle Dixon. Even if you don't know it."

Merle shook his head to try to clear it. This woman beat all he'd ever seen. He didn't believe the words, but something about her made him feel… better, more whole. He looked at her again with narrowed eyes. "Tell me somethin' sugar. How you know what happened? That Daryl's ok... that somethin' was gonna happen at all?" Erika just looked at him with wide eyes. "Yeah, I heard ya tell Daryl to stick with me. Not outta my sight I think ya said. I's gonna let him go in alone til I remembered what ya said. When I went ta check on him he was in a bad way. How'd ya know that, hmm? Who are ya lady?"

"I know a lot of things Merle. I know what you think of yourself and you're wrong. I know you think you're like _him_ and you're wrong. I know you don't try harder because you don't believe you deserve better. And you're wrong. Who am I? I'm just someone who cares about good people even if they don't care about themselves. You should be ashamed, Merle Dixon. The world needs good people _like you_ to stand up and come forward, not cower away in a pit of self-hatred. Someone needed to say it. It doesn't matter who I am as long as you hear what I needed to say to you."

She was looking at him again. Intensely. Like she was looking straight at his soul, not his face. Merle heard her, but his heart was too hardened to comprehend what she was saying. His body, though. That wasn't immune to the beauty he had sitting next to him. He couldn't resist the thoughts that automatically tried to distract him from all of tonight's ugliness and worry. He let his eyes travel over the smart white sleeveless silk blouse and the simple black flouncy skirt she wore. Her legs were short but toned and beautiful and her simple heels were a perfect feminine complement to her outfit. Her hair was brown with flecks of auburn and gold throughout. She didn't wear a lot of makeup, just a little. Merle liked that. The girl was gorgeous just like she was. He relaxed as he let his imagination take over.

"Oh my God, Merle Dixon. I can hear what you're thinking! Stop it!" She looked stern, but again not surprised. Not offended.

Merle chuckled at her. "The look on my face that obvious? You never have told me yer name, sweet thang." Merle turned to her fully, propping one arm on the steering wheel and the other along the back of the seat, stretched out so he could almost touch her hair. Merle usually went for the bar skanks who were coated in makeup and clad in scanty slutty clothes because that's what everyone expected of him. They thought that's the best he deserved and he believed them. But this girl, this was what he really wanted. Wanted to be worth her time.

"My name is Erika. Happy? Now will you stop with the "sweet thangs" and "sugars"?"

"Heh. Erika. Pretty. It fits ya. Anybody told ya how pretty ya was?" He reached out and tugged on a piece of Erika's brunette locks.

"You…" Erika had to stop and take a deep breath. Something about this man intrigued and unsettled her in a very peculiar way that she wasn't familiar with. She felt flustered around him. "You are just deflecting because you don't want to acknowledge what I just said. Did you hear me when I told you that you are a good man? Merle? You should go back to Hershel and Beth. You _do_ belong there."

Merle finally gave up his come on's and turned back to the steering wheel. He didn't say anything, just heaved a great big breath. Erika just watched as he turned things over in his head. After a few moments Merle finally broke the silence and Erika was disappointed. "Get out. I gotta get goin 'fore the police find me. I caused a little trouble earlier. Ya shouldn't be here with me."

"No." Erika turned in her seat to face Merle Dixon as his head swung to her. He wasn't joking or roguish now. Just serious. "Merle, I'm here with you because I want to be. You are worth my time or I wouldn't be here. Do you understand?" His face changed with her words and he looked…afraid?

Erika moved over on the seat and Merle instinctively moved backwards against the car door, not understanding Erika's intentions. He was skittish in spite of his usual manly swagger. He was, deep down, a broken little boy just like her Daryl, she realized. He was just better at hiding it behind a careless put-on persona. Erika's heart softened as she watched Merle Dixon almost cower before her.

She took his face in her hands and spoke to him with all the honesty she could muster. "Merle, don't do this to yourself. You are not your father. You never have been and never will be. You don't have to be afraid of yourself or of hurting Daryl or Beth or me. Darling…you are a _good man_. _You are!_ Daryl knows it. Beth knows it. And I know it."

Merle couldn't hide from those shining blue eyes and he had to let the words sink in. He wanted so badly for them to be true, but every time he had tried to believe such a thing he had only ended up breaking his own heart. For now, he could only accept that this woman believed it. And he was grateful. He didn't even feel ashamed as the tears he'd been fighting slipped from his eyes and ran over her hands.

"I…I just…" Merle's breath hitched when Erika leaned in and kissed his forehead. No one had ever kissed him like that, gentle and loving. He didn't even remember his momma doing that. Ever. It was wonderful though. He wanted to feel that all the time. It was like a drug that he'd just gotten hooked on. Merle leaned his head down to her, hoping she would do it again. As if she could read his thoughts, Erika smiled sweetly at him and kissed his forehead again. Then his cheek. And his nose. It made him so happy, and Erika felt that as well.

Before either of them realized what they were doing, their lips were on each other's. They kissed sweetly for a few minutes. It was chaste – just soft lips caressing each other tenderly over and over. Erika's hands moved away from Merle's face as if she were trying to restrain herself. But she didn't. When they finally separated, Erika looked at Merle shocked. She'd never felt so…much… with someone. Merle's swagger began to return as he grinned down at her and she knew she was in trouble. "Come 'ere sug… Erika."

Merle's strong arms wrapped around the tiny brunette and pulled her to him. One hand wound into her soft hair and he kissed her again. This time he let his tongue trace against her lip, asking for entrance. When Erika gasped against him, Merle took the opportunity to plunder her mouth. Despite herself, Erika couldn't resist the intense feelings and she returned Merle's kiss, letting her hands travel to his chest. She felt his rapid heartbeat as she let him have his way with her mouth.

Merle finally broke the kiss, but continued to kiss her face and then down her neck and back up to suck gently right behind her ear. The feeling was divine and Erika allowed herself to enjoy it. What was this man doing to her? This wasn't like her. Not at all. When Merle whispered in her ear, a shiver ran up Erika's spine. "Tell me again. What you was sayin' before."

Erika pulled back to look at him. He was serious and hopeful. "Please?"

"Merle…" She could hardly speak after what he had just done to her. She knew what he wanted, though. He just wanted her to love him. Even for a moment. Erika made up her mind to give him what he deserved. "You are a good man, Merle Dixon." She pulled him close and held him tightly. "You are. A good. Man." She leaned forward, kissed his neck, and pressed her body against him, inviting him to carry on.

Merle hesitated. He hugged her tenderly, not moving. "Ya sure this is okay? Ya don't have ta. You should go home."

Erika continued to kiss his neck for a moment. Then she sat back a bit and moved Merle's hands to her breasts. She looked at him intensely and whispered to him, "I'm quite certain. I want you, want to love you. Now, don't ask me again." She grinned at him as she said it, though, to let him know she was quite alright with this being relaxed and casual.

That's all Merle needed. His usual swagger was fully back in its place as his eyes devoured her and his hands roamed uninhibited over her arms, her breasts, and her ass. Merle kissed Erika everywhere that he could reach, everywhere that clothes didn't cover. He shifted them suddenly and pulled her to lay underneath him on the truck's bench seat. Merle looked down on her as he moved one of her legs to hook around his hip. He watched her face as he settled down on top of her, grinding his hardness against her raised thigh. "This ok, sweetheart?"

In response, Erika reached down and caressed him with her hand, squeezing gently in a rhythm that nearly drove Merle to the brink. Merle regretfully moved her hand away and sat up. He let Erika watch as he removed his bloody shirt, revealing a sexy barrel chest. Erika gasped and struggled to breathe as Merle Dixon removed his belt and unbuttoned and unzipped his pants above her, letting them slide down his legs.

Merle reached out and unbuttoned Erika's silk blouse, letting it fall to her sides revealing her pretty white lace bra. "Mmm. Nice baby."

"So it's sweetheart and baby now, is it?" Erika grinned at him. "I rather like those, honestly." She blushed and that drove Merle wild. No girl he'd ever had blushed like that.

Merle didn't return her grin. He gave her an honest to God smile. It was kind and gentle and was oh so much like her sweet Daryl that Erika could hardly believe it. If she didn't know better, Erika would have said she fell in love with Merle Dixon there and then.

Merle leaned over and kissed Erika gently on her collarbone and then continued all over her chest. The little lacy bra did very little to hide anything from Merle so he ignored it was even there, sucking and licking her nipples through the barely-there lace, drawing out contented sighs and gentle moans from the soft kind woman beneath him. He ran his hands up underneath her nice pretty skirt, feeling the tender skin of her legs against his rough hands.

Merle's breathing quickened as he thought about how to proceed next. He knew he wasn't going to last long. He wanted this girl too bad, but he wanted it to be good for her, too. He sat up again and removed the rest of his clothes. By now the windows were solid with condensation, so no one was going to see even if anyone ever came all the way out here and then decided to get nosy. Erika looked him over in awe as he removed her heels and lifted her skirt, pushing it up so he could see her matching white lace underwear.

Merle threw his head back and cracked his neck as he genuinely attempted to calm himself. This woman was a wet dream and he could barely look at her like this. He left his head tilted back as he ran his hands up and down her soft lean legs, willing himself to a calm place. He looked back down at the beautiful shining blue eyes questioningly.

"Merle, it's ok. Feel me. Take me. It's alright now. Come on." Her hands were on his, pulling them to the elastic of her panties, helping him guide them down. Merle took over and slid them down her legs and off. As her legs were still raised, Merle caught them and lifted them to kiss her knees and her shins. Then he spread her legs and guided them back around his hips as he lay down with her. He balanced himself on one forearm as he let his other hand reach down to touch her, caress her. She was so wet and ready for him.

Erika's ethereal eyes rolled back in her head as she felt Merle Dixon's fingers dart over her little bundle of nerves and start to massage her in slow lazy circles. Her body caught on fire and if she thought she was wet before, she was absolutely dripping now. By the time this was finished, Merle was going to have quite a mess on his truck seat.

Erika didn't realize she was making so much noise until Merle whispered a light shush and kissed her gently. His tongue found hers and lathed against it. He deepened the kiss then caught her tongue in his lips, sucking it for a moment. That was new to Erika and it sent a shock straight to the place where Merle's hand was applying supple steady pressure.

Erika's hands found purchase on Merle's hips and pulled him closer to her, squeezing her legs tighter around him and lifted her hips in time with his stroking fingers. When Merle slid one finger all the way inside her, Erika stiffened and her eyes met Merle's in shock. That and the tightness he found inside her worried Merle. He didn't think he'd ever had a woman like this. "Hey, sweetheart. Listen. Ya ok?" Erika smiled at him and shook her head. "Um…baby? Ya ever done this before?" Merle withdrew his finger and saw the disappointment flit across Erika's face.

She scoffed at the gentle man laying above her. "Of course I have. How old do you think I am anyway? And I'm not a nun, you know. It's…just been a long time. A very long time indeed." Erika grinned at him again. "Centuries. But that's fine. You won't hurt me. I promise." She leaned up and caught Merle's mouth again, immediately seeking his tongue this time as she reached down and grasped his hardness to guide him to her entrance.

Merle braced himself on both arms over her as she led him, one of his hands behind her head tangling in her beautiful hair. As he pressed into her, he looked down into knowing kind eyes. Loving eyes…and he found acceptance there. And longing, and pleasure. Merle was suddenly in heaven, he realized. He was in the arms, in the body of an angel.

Merle slowly sank further into her tight heat all the way as far as he could go until he met resistance. Erika grunted uncomfortably as he bottomed out and quickly backed off a bit. "I'm sorry baby. You're just so tight and so…amazing." Merle's voice and legs shook as he tried to maintain control.

"Merle, it's alright. Just…get on with it. Make love to me…ahh….please!" Erika's voice was higher than he'd heard it and he realized that she was struggling to hold on as well. Merle grinned at her and she grinned back in pleasure. He set a steady throbbing pace and she matched it. Merle was huge inside her and, though he couldn't have known, Erika was telling the truth about "centuries" and she was tight as a virgin.

The sex was amazing for both of them as his cock slid hard in and out. He stretched her exquisitely and she squeezed him deliciously. Though he hit her cervix a few times with a twinge of pain, he also got her g-spot every time, leaving her a quivering shaking mess of nerves begging for release. She got loud again and Merle claimed her mouth, feeling her with his tongue at the same pace as their lovemaking.

Eventually, Erika could take no more. She pushed Merle's face away from her gently as she stretched her neck out in ecstasy and pushed her hips into his, begging for mercy. Merle understood and reached down between them to apply a rhythm to her clit as he shortened and quickened his strokes inside on her g-spot. Erika screamed as she came and Merle followed her over the edge. He spilled himself inside her, pressing his cock deep as he throbbed inside her pulsing center.

As they recovered, Merle stayed inside her and wrapped his arms tight around her small body. He gently cried on her shoulder as he finally released all the tension of a whole harsh lifetime. Erika wrapped her arms similarly around him and her invisible wings engulfed them both as she tried to help him heal emotionally. When it was done, they helped each other dress and Erika pulled to him and kissed him again and again in that loving manner of hers. She knew he wanted that and it helped him, so she was content to do it until the end of time if that's what he needed.

"Are you going back to Hershel's?"

"Naw, baby. I can't go there. I'll just bring too much trouble down on them. It's best I go on and get outta their way."

Erika was disappointed again. "But where will you go, then? What will you do?"

Merle looked at the beauty tucked in his arms and smiled that genuine smile again. "I guess I'll have ta find something better for myself. Start over, maybe. Find something good and wholesome."

Erika looked inside him and saw a new shining light that wasn't there before. Whatever it was that she had done or said, it looked to have worked. Merle Dixon was going to be fine. And Erika was so happy about that. She laughed happily and scooted over to get out of the truck.

"Hey, where're you goin? Ya not gonna come with me?" Merle sounded panicked as he reached for her.

Erika leaned back over for one last kiss. "Oh, you'll see me again, Merle Dixon. Don't worry about that. I've got some things to tend to, though, so it'll have to wait a bit. You'll be ok in the meantime. Go get yourself sorted and then I'll find you." The glowing blue eyes were on him again, making Merle feel ten feet tall and bulletproof. She winked at him and then she was gone.

An echo of happy laughter flitted through Merle's head and he smiled. Somehow, he felt he was gonna be ok, too. Merle pulled back onto the road from under the bridge and started north to a new kind of destination, a new destiny. He felt like he had just woken up from a horrible dream to find himself in Heaven.

**Monday, May 26th 2003. **

A beautiful bright light was glowing somewhere behind Daryl's eyelids. There was no pain, just a dull numbness all over. This must be what death felt like. He pondered it a moment before finally opening his eyes. The first thing he saw was Hershel staring down at him in concentration and worry. This wasn't heaven or hell, it was just the spare room, Daryl's room, at Hershel's farm. Beth was sound asleep in the chair in the corner. Daryl noted that she looked awful, dark circles lined her eyes and her face was swollen and puffy - from crying? Hershel didn't look much better. "Thought ya wasn't gonna wake up there for a while. You still with us?" Daryl could only blink in response. When he shifted to sit up, the pain hit him like a freight train all over his body and his stomach churned again.

"Just lie still. You've had a concussion and a nasty stab wound. I cleaned you up and patched you just fine. I was afraid of internal bleeding for a bit, but you look to be improving. You're not goin' anywhere for a while, though."

"What happened? How'd I get here and where's Merle?"

"Merle's gone, Daryl."

"I know. He got shot..." Daryl choked back a sob at the sudden memory. But Hershel was looking at him oddly.

"Merle didn't get shot. He's just fine. He brought ya here and then he had ta leave. The sheriff came round shortly after lookin' for him. Said your father had called and reported that you had assaulted him and Merle had threatened him with a gun. As far as I know, no one was hurt but you, though. Good thing for us that Sheriff Kilpatrick is a very old friend of mine. I explained the situation and was able to keep your name out of things, but the gun issue was too serious. It was a good thing Merle took off or he would have gone to jail."

Daryl was listening to Hershel, but staring at Beth. She was beautiful in the golden sunlight, sleeping peacefully. He focused on her, trying to use her light to wash away the pain and awfulness of what happened. He realized that Hershel was still sitting on the side of his bed, watching Daryl watch his daughter. Hershel was smiling at him kindly. "You've been out for two days, Daryl. My little girl hasn't slept the whole time. She just nodded off about half an hour ago."

"She was worried?"

"No Daryl. She wasn't worried. My daughter thinks you're invincible, you know. She was furious, though. I believe she scared Sheriff Kilpatrick when he came around lookin' for you and Merle. I'd never heard such wrath come from her." Hershel was chuckling. "She also embarrassed her mother with the language she used regarding your father and what exactly she thought about him. I wonder where my sweet daughter would have gotten words like that?"

Daryl was grinning at the thought of Beth fighting for him and Merle like that. And the thought that she still believed he was Superman, even after seeing the sorry state he was in, was fortifying. She was truly amazing. And he _was_ afraid he knew where she got that language. He would have to be more careful with his mouth. "I...have no idea. Too much television maybe?"

Hershel laughed easily. "Alright, Daryl, if you say so. I think it'd be best for me to warn you... While you were out of it, Beth also made it clear to everyone here that you weren't going back to your father's for any reason. She said you're "staying home" from now on." Hershel looked at Daryl pointedly and grinned. "As a man who has plenty of experience with women, Daryl, I will warn you to not say a word. She's been doing a lot of thinking where you're concerned these last two days. I'm sure she'll fill you in properly when you're both up and around. I'm afraid you have no idea what you just woke up to, son. I'm going to leave you to get some more rest. You're going to need it." Hershel got up and started to walk away, but then paused and turned back to Daryl. The older man bent and placed a quick kiss on Daryl's forehead then turned and walked away quickly and closed the door, not once looking back.

Daryl bit back tears with all he had in him. He knew exactly what he had woken up to. Heaven.


	8. Chapter 8: Forever

**A/N Okay, we're posting this ahead of time due to the outcome of last night's dreadful episode. It should not have gone down like that and both LolaRita and myself are dismayed, broken hearted and utterly disgusted that AMC could do that to such a promising young female character who has grown so much throughout the ZA. **

**We hope this chapter helps to ease some of the sadness... there is no Will Dixon this time! Just fluff and smutty goodness. **

**Thanks to everyone for still taking the time to read and review our take on the way the Daryl and Beth story should have unfolded...****and we have no intention of stopping or giving up on this story anytime soon... it's still going to be a long multi chapter journey. Beth deserves more than the ending AMC gave her and we'll do our best to give it to her.**

**Enjoy and please review… kind reviews make us want to write you a lovely happy story! And maybe even give you babies!**

**Lola & E xxx**

**The Hunger**

**Chapter Eight - Forever**

**Monday, May 26th 2003. Senoia, GA.**

Daryl had continued to watch Beth as she slept, until long after Hershel had left the room. All he wanted to do was get up, walk over to her and kiss her, hold her tight and make her feel better. But he couldn't move. He was sure his insides would fall out if he tried, they were throbbing as if they would anyhow, despite the drugs Hershel had given him.

He wondered what Hershel had meant when he said Beth had done some thinking, made some decisions. All he could think was that she'd had enough of his trouble and didn't want to see him anymore. He wouldn't have blamed her. He'd brought nothing but pain and darkness into Beth's life since the day he met her. Now he'd got her involved with the police and guns and _that man, _his pa. He hated to think what the rest of her family thought of him. They were probably going to throw him out once he could walk. He'd have to go back to his pa and beg forgiveness. Just like his pa had always told him he would in the end. No less than he deserved though for being so useless and weak and stupid.

Daryl was still lost in thought staring at Beth when she started to wake. He'd never seen anything so beautiful, even though she'd been crying and hadn't slept for days. That made her even more beautiful to him, the fact she cared so deeply about things. He was planning what to say to her as words whirled around in his head. Sorry didn't really seem enough somehow but what else could he say? Nothing could explain how bad he felt, how totally and utterly sick he felt at the thought of hurting her and her family.

"Daryl, yer awake." Beth almost sang the words as she shuffled around in the chair and beamed at him. The warmth from her smile smothering him like a blanket even from the other side of the room.

Beth immediately walked towards the bed and gingerly laid herself down behind him, a huge smile still plastered on her face. "Ya should be asleep, ya need the rest Daryl." Beth had so much to tell him but she wanted him to sleep first. Although he'd been unconscious for two days, his body still needed to mend and repair itself.

"l'm 'kay… Beth… I'm sorry…I.." Daryl started to offer some sort of pathetic explanation that he knew would never be enough, but Beth interrupted him.

"Shushhh… no talkin', jus' rest. There ain't anythin' ya need ta say. I know Daryl and it's alright." Beth was stroking her hands through his hair and talking softly to him.

She didn't want explanations, apologies, reasons, or guilt. She just wanted to hold him, listen to him breathe, see that he was okay. Once she'd done that then everything else could wait while he slept.

Beth curled herself up tightly behind him, nuzzling her face into his neck as her arm draped gently over his waist. The warmth from her skin warming his and the soft sound of her breathing catching his ear every time she exhaled. It relaxed him, soothed him like it always did to be near to her, to have her touch him. Daryl hadn't failed to notice how she lovingly and carefully avoided touching his wounds, but at the same time still managing to hold him close. Close enough for him to feel her heart thumping into his back, vibrating through his body as if it was his own heartbeat. He began to hope that maybe everything would be okay in the end after all.

Beth's fingertips rhythmically stroking across the bare flesh of his stomach sent him quickly into a comfortable, deep sleep where dreams of Beth and their little blonde haired angel filled his head once more. He didn't understand why he kept seeing this little girl but she was becoming more and more frequent in his dreams of late. It comforted him though and he never slept as well as when he dreamed of her and his Beth.

Daryl slept solidly through the night and would have carried on sleeping if it wasn't for the bright morning sunlight filtering into the room. He opened his eyes and was greeted by her beautiful face, smiling at him from across the room, her eyes shining with happiness and love. The brightness of the room made it all seem ethereal. Daryl rubbed his eyes to refocus, as much to make sure he wasn't dreaming as for anything else.

Beth had woken a while ago but didn't want to disturb him so had crept back to the armchair to watch him. They'd only ever spent one whole night together before and she found it hypnotizing to watch him softly inhale and exhale, his face relaxed. There was no evidence of the shame or fear that had often been etched there over the years they'd been together. She thought how peaceful he looked even after everything that had happened. She hoped in some part that was because of her. She hoped he felt calmer and safer knowing she was next to him. She'd been so scared the last two days. She'd begun to think maybe even her daddy couldn't save him. Then her thoughts had wandered to what her life would be without him. She'd only allowed these to be fleeting images, discarding them immediately because she already knew there _was _no life without him or not a life she wanted to contemplate anyway.

That's why she'd decided on three things while Daryl had been unconscious. Firstly, they were bringing college forward so they could start next month. Secondly, they were getting married as soon as he was recovered, and lastly he was never _ever_ setting eyes on that bastard man again.

Beth hadn't given any thought as to how she was going to break this news to Daryl though. Or how any of this was going to happen, including putting together a wedding in a few weeks. But before she could worry about it further she was pulled from her daydream.

"How long ya been watchin' me?" Daryl winced in pain as he tried to sit up, forcing a smile at Beth.

Beth was already on her feet rushing to his side to stop him pulling his stitches "Only a little while, I woke and then just wanted ta look at ya. Ya looked so beautiful, yunno how I like lookin' at ya." Beth sat smiling on the edge of the bed next to him and arranged the pillows behind him to prop him upright.

"Sure it weren't ya that had the knock ta the head?" Daryl had gotton used to her saying he was beautiful. He didn't understand it but she refused to stop telling him, so he just accepted it.

He also knew she must have been out of her mind with worry the last few days. He knew if it had been the other way round he'd have been frantic.

"No that was definitely you… you've got the cut to prove it." Beth chuckled and delicately placed her lips onto the angry red gash on his forehead, lingering there for a moment as she closed her eyes, briefly letting her thoughts wander to the near death condition he'd been in two nights ago and how scared she'd been.

Her daddy had managed with only using Steri Strips on his head wound, he said it didn't need proper stitches and shouldn't scar, although it was a different story with the stab wound to his stomach. That definitely would scar and would take a few weeks to heal properly too. Combined with the amount of blood he lost, meant Daryl would need to rest as much as possible over the next few days to gain strength and stop the stitches from pulling.

"I'm sorry Beth… for the trouble and for draggin' yer family into ma shit. For not bein' strong enough to stop him. For lettin' him ruin everythin'. I'm gonna make it up ta ya… promise." Daryl took hold of Beth's hand, nervously playing with her fingers and twisting her ring.

A lump rose to his throat and he swallowed hard, his mouth going dry as he waited to hear what Beth had been thinking upon while he'd been asleep. What big decisions she'd made.

"I got some ideas about how ya can do that…. And ya ain't got anythin' ta apologize for neither. Nothin'. None of it was yer fault Daryl and no one blames ya for anythin'." Beth's voice was sterner now and she made Daryl look at her.

She would refuse to let him take the blame or let him feel responsible for any of it. It was all that evil man. Ruining yet again another moment in Daryl's life he should've been able to remember as special.

"Oh yeah and what ideas would they be then?" Daryl spoke in a whisper as he caught his breath, his other hand now stroking Beth's back, trailing along her spine. He felt relief wash over him as Beth told him none of it was his fault. As she looked at him with nothing but love.

"Well for one I ain't ever lettin' ya see that man again. And I mean never. And I want us to start college next month instead of in the fall…momma already checked with the realtors and we can have the apartment early, the previous tenants moved out after their finals a few weeks ago. And daddy said he'd pay the extra rent for the next few months, so ya ain't gotta worry 'bout workin' for a while. The college said it's not a problem as long as the course fees are paid up in time. And I want to marry ya before we go to Savannah. I want us to start over together, as husband and wife. I don't wanna wait and I don't care about it bein' fancy. I know ya ain't asked me yet and well...ya don't have to… I just wanna be with ya Daryl, I want it to be just us forever. Mr and Mrs Dixon." Beth hadn't even stopped to draw breath as everything she'd been planning tumbled from her lips before she even had chance to censor it or stop it.

"Ya gonna breathe now then Beth?" Daryl was grinning at her like a fool as he watched her face flush pink and her hand start playing in her hair nervously.

It reminded Daryl of when she asked him to kiss her for the first time. He always thought Beth Greene was afraid of nothing and scared of no one, that she had nerves of steel, but he was beginning to realise she got just as embarrassed over relationship stuff as he did. It made his heart thump and his stomach somersault, knowing he made her a little nervous sometimes, knowing that he had the same effect on her that she had on him.

"Sorry…I shoulda broke it to ya a bit more slowly, huh?" Beth was smiling suddenly. A tiny bit of relief coursing through her body as everything was out in the open now.

She still felt slightly sick as she waited for Daryl's answer though.

"Beth Greene was that a proposal? Ya know the answer's 'yes' if it was don't ya?" Beth was laughing now, playfully slapping his leg over the bed sheets, as Daryl threw her words back at her from the previous year. From when they'd been in her daddy's truck and had had the same conversation.

Daryl was still playing with her fingers with one hand while his other one had now moved upwards over her back and was wound into her hair. He wanted to kiss her, he wanted to make love to her. He knew his body wouldn't let him but that didn't stop him from thinking about it. From imagining running his hands along her soft curves. From imagining being inside her, forgetting everything else as he lost himself in her.

"Very funny… I'm serious though Daryl. I want us to start again as soon as yer well. Move to Savannah and forget about that man… Daryl I thought I'd lost ya. A life without ya flashed before me and I almost died it was so horrible. I know daddy told ya I wasn't worried but I was. I was terrified. I was terrified you'd left me and I was never gonna get to see ya again, to touch ya, to build a life with ya. And I decided I ain't ever losin' ya and I ain't ever feelin' like that again, never… He_ will_ kill ya Daryl, one day, if we don't leave. That's why yer gonna live here until we leave for college." Beth was serious now, her face pale again and showing nothing but concern and sadness.

"I'm never gonna leave ya Beth, not for a minute…. An'_ yes_ ta everythin' ya said… all of it." Daryl was leaning in close to her now, his forehead pressed lightly against hers. His whole body suddenly overcome with sensations he knew he couldn't act on.

Breathlessness from his heart thumping madly against his ribs. An ache radiating from the wound in his stomach and a throb that was becoming more intense as he grew harder and more aroused. He wanted to kiss her, he wanted to touch her like never before. He didn't care she could probably _see _what he was thinking. He wanted her to see. He wanted her to know how she made him feel.

"Really... ta everythin'?" Beth was stunned. She thought she'd have to argue, plead and beg with him. Especially on the marriage point. She knew he wanted to wait and do it right. Maybe what happened with his pa had shook him up more than she'd realised.

"But I'm still gonna ask ya properly… and I'm askin' yer dad first." Daryl tried to hold himself back and tried to focus on speaking, but it was a struggle.

He bit down on his lower lip as he thought about her. His hand then curling around the back of her neck, pulling her lips hard onto his. It was a long lingering kiss and he couldn't help from deepening it. His tongue pushing past her lips and into her mouth as she let out a moan. Finding and entwining itself with hers as a need for more circulated through his body.

At that moment he wanted to do everything with her but knew he couldn't. His body was broken, his future in-laws were downstairs and he was tired. He'd never been a big sleeper, he supposed that came from living in a house where every moment could've been his last, where he had to sleep with one eye open. But right now he felt tired. He felt at peace, happy, safe, secure, loved and excited for the future…but tired. Sleep was calling him and he knew his body couldn't help but answer.

Daryl knew his need would have to wait for another time. A time when it was just them, when he was mended and when he could actually do more than just lie there.

"I'm gonna sleep some more. Ya go downstairs, freshen up and eat somethin' 'fore ya waste away." Daryl laid back down, sucking in a deep breath as a stabbing pain seared through his abdomen. Beth stood up next to the bed holding his hand, softly stroking her fingers across his knuckles.

Beth wasn't going to argue. She could feel a hunger like she'd never experienced before. And not just for food. It was for life, a hunger and an overwhelming impatience to start their new life together.

"I love you." Beth stilled beside him, still rubbing his hand gently.

"I love ya too Beth… now go. And thank yer daddy for me again. He saved my life…. But I think that kinda runs in yer family." Daryl smiled at her and watched her undo the door.

"_Our_ family Daryl… they love you almost as much as I do." Beth smiled to herself but didn't turn around, just closed the door behind her as she headed downstairs.

Daryl closed his eyes and saw that baby girl again. The one that looked just like her momma, all blonde curls and blue eyes. This time they were at the creek. Everyone was there. Hershel, Annette, Maggie, Glenn, Shawn, Beth… and him. They were laughing and talking and playing like a loving family. It was a family. It was his family.

**Wednesday, May 28th 2003. **

Daryl was planning on properly proposing to Beth today. He knew it didn't matter, not really. He just wanted to do it right, to not feel that they were pushed into it by the actions of his pa. He spoke to Hershel first, asking his permission. Daryl thought he might actually vomit he felt so nervous. Hershel had almost wanted to laugh. Not in a mean way, he didn't have a mean bone in his body, but just because he'd never seen anyone look so nervous and scared before with no good reason. Did the boy really think Hershel would say no? Sometimes Hershel worried about exactly what deep rooted damage Will Dixon had actually done to his youngest son. If he didn't feel part of the Greene family after twelve years Hershel was unsure what else he could do.

Hershel had known since his daughter had been ten that she would marry Daryl Dixon one day. Since that night she lay with him after his momma died. It was no shock they wanted to do it once they were eighteen. Hershel loved Daryl, had done for years. He'd been at the farm as much, if not more than his own children over the last years and he thought of him as another son already.

Hershel couldn't tease him though, he just couldn't do it to him. Not after everything the boy had been through. He gave him his blessing and put his arm around his shoulder and placed a kiss on his temple as he squeezed him tight and welcomed him to the family. Daryl didn't think he could ever feel as happy as he did at that moment. To feel the love of a father. To finally know how he should have felt his whole life with his own father but never once had.

Relief flooded over Daryl at actually having been officially accepted by Hershel. He wasn't sure why he'd felt so nervous about asking him if he could marry Beth. Hershel had always been kind towards him and they'd gotton on well, especially over the last few years, Daryl even working for Hershel sometimes. He was the only father Daryl had ever known. He supposed it was because he loved the older man that he needed his approval so badly, needed to know that he was accepted, even with all his flaws. Now he knew he was, he was actually excited about what he had planned for Beth that evening. He could concentrate on that now, knowing everything was how it should be for the first time in eighteen years. But he was going to need the help of the whole Greene family to make it work.

Daryl had roped in Maggie and Glenn to help with his plans due to the fact he was still virtually on bed rest because of his stitches. Well, not so much help with his plans as actually orchestrate the whole thing. Maggie didn't mind one bit though and had almost shattered Daryl's eardrums when she squealed with excitement as Daryl explained what he needed doing. Daryl was pretty sure Maggie was taking every opportunity to drop hints to Glenn, about weddings and engagements and how her little sister shouldn't be doing it _before_ her. Daryl tried to hide his smirk as he looked at poor Glenn and how he was coloring up at Maggie's not so subtle hints. Daryl really liked Glenn, he seemed to love Maggie as much as Daryl himself loved Beth… and he was a good man. He thought it was funny how under the thumb Glenn was but also saw how Glenn wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Daryl was grateful that Maggie approved of him and Beth. He'd never really had much interaction with Maggie over the years, she was six years older and she'd come and go from the farm whilst he and Beth mainly stayed around the barn or the creek or the lake, out of the way, on their own. Maggie had just accepted him as always being with her sister, she didn't judge and she didn't interfere. She would watch sometimes though and he knew even from a young age if he ever hurt Beth it would have been Maggie he needed to be wary of. Out of all the Greene's she was the one that scared him the most. But as both she and he knew he would never hurt Beth it was irrelevant. She even passed a comment about having another brother now and that he better not be as much of a pain in the ass as Shawn had always been. Then she'd looked at him and grinned. Daryl knew she was joking and it made him warm inside to know she thought of him as family too. He loved Merle, always had, but he'd never really been around when he needed him and if he was honest he'd had more support from Beth's siblings than he'd ever had from Merle.

Daryl had tasked Annette with occupying Beth for the day. Daryl suggested taking her out shopping, and asked Annette to make sure Beth bought something nice to wear for the evening. It would be easier to prepare things with Beth gone for the day. Beth always had to know what was going on, so they'd have had no chance of getting away with it being a surprise if she'd have stayed at the farm. Although he was missing her already, he knew the look on her face later would be worth it.

Beth had been easily convinced to go shopping, especially when her daddy had given her money to get her and Daryl some new things for the apartment. Beth had first flung her arms around Hershel by way of thank you before virtually flinging herself into the car in her eagerness to leave. Beth wanted to drive but Annette had put her foot down. Her daughter looked as though she wanted to get to the store in world record time and Annette wasn't taking the chance of not making it back in one piece.

Over the years, Annette had grown to love Daryl like a son, just as Hershel had. Maybe because Daryl had actually _wanted_ to be mothered, unlike her own son, Shawn, who wouldn't let her go anywhere near him for cuddles and kisses. Daryl was always quiet and shy and awkward but he'd immediately endeared himself to Annette that first time he came over for supper. He was only six but once everyone had left the dinner table he'd quietly made his way over to her, tugged on her skirt and he'd told her that her chicken casserole was lovely and tasty and she must be a real nice momma to make that in the oven because all his mom did was tell him to go and open a can of food from the pantry because she didn't like using the oven. Annette had wanted to cry, knowing even then what sort of life he'd been living. It broke her heart but there was nothing they could do except welcome him and treat him right when he was at the farm. And they had. And now they were proud of the young man he'd turned into. They were probably as happy as Beth that he was going to be part of their family forever.

Daryl then roped Hershel into going into town in his truck and picking up a whole list of items he needed. Daryl felt bad about not being able to contribute more, but he couldn't drive, not with his stitches. Anyway Hershel looked happy to be helping. It was all in aid of making his daughter happy after all.

Daryl had given instructions to everyone and they all seemed happy they knew what they were doing so he went back upstairs to lie down for a while. His wound was throbbing again and he still had a headache. Hershel wouldn't give him any more of his strong pain meds, he said it would only fool him into thinking he was better than he was and he might end up pulling the stitches and making himself worse. Daryl was having to make do with Advil now instead, which weren't doing much at all. He also didn't want to be tired this evening, he thought maybe falling asleep when he was supposed to be down on one knee wouldn't look too good. Truthfully he didn't even know how he was going to get down on one knee.

Beth and Annette arrived home around 5 p.m. Daryl hadn't realised they were back until Beth crept into his room and laid down on the bed next to him, waking him by gently blowing her warm breath around his ear, her fingernails lazily tracing circles across the skin of his cheek.

"Come on sleepy head. Ya want some supper? Momma didn't feel like cookin' after a day shoppin' with me, so we got pizza." Beth was whispering but seemed excited, rubbing her hand up and down his arm and kissing along his jaw, moaning as she moved down over his neck.

"Uh, Beth what are ya doin'?" Daryl's heart was racing as Beth continued to trail the tip of her tongue around his ear. Every bit of blood he had left had already rushed to his groin the moment she'd started to blow warm air around his ear. Now she was just making it worse. So much worse.

She didn't answer him with words. Instead her hand started to wander over the hard mound in his jeans. Rubbing up and down, squeezing as she continued to kiss around his ear, tugging at his earlobe.

"Beth, stop it… yer folks are downstairs… someone might come in..." of course he wanted her to carry on but it just didn't seem right.

"And we're upstairs, no one's comin' in so jus' keep quiet and no one'll know." Beth whispered to him as she continued to kiss his throat, before swinging her leg carefully over him and straddling his legs. She was smiling down on him with a wild look in her dark eyes and Daryl knew exactly what she was about to do.

"I'll be careful not to hurt ya, jus' relax, ya don't hafta move." Beth lowered her mouth to his chest, lifting his t-shirt up and kissing his already goose bumped flesh "I think maybe I need somethin' ta eat 'fore supper… how 'bout I taste you?" Beth was now quietly giggling as she looked up along his body and pulled him free of his jeans, shuffling backwards and kissing over his abdomen with feather light touches.

"Jesus Beth… don't." Daryl sucked in a deep breath. His head was telling him to stop her but his body was telling him to let her finish.

At this point though Daryl had lost any ability to be able to stop her. He wanted her and he wanted to feel her loving mouth around him. So he let her carry on, parents downstairs or not. He wanted to tell her how wicked she was and how much he loved her for it, but words left him as soon as he felt the softness of her warm wet tongue brush over him.

"Beth yer so….aarrh." Daryl couldn't finish before she'd wrapped her lips tightly around him, her other hand reaching up to his mouth, gently pushing her fingers into his lips in an effort to silence his moans. Her hand then moved back down and curled itself around his length as her mouth carried on licking and sucking.

She'd only ever done this once for him before and he'd been mortified at not lasting much longer than a minute before exploding in her mouth. He was determined to do better this time. He'd never felt anything like the sensation of Beth's silky soft tongue lapping at him. Her lips gliding up and down his dick as her moans vibrated through his lower body. He wanted it to last forever. He wanted to make so much noise. He wanted to tell the world he was the only one that got to do this with Beth Greene. But he didn't. He just closed his eyes and enjoyed it for as long as he could. Daryl murmured her name over and over as quietly as he was able, his hands wound tightly into Beth's hair as he finally found his release.

A while later the entire Greene family ate supper together. They talked and they laughed and they joked. Shawn and Glenn retold stories that had been heard a thousand times before, but that still got everyone hysterical with laughter. The whole time, Beth and Daryl stayed in their own little world. Beth had changed into the new dress she'd bought earlier, a pretty strapless pale pink one that finished just below the knee. Her hair was curly and loose around her shoulders and Daryl thought he might actually not be able to stop himself from jumping on her, stitches or not.

Beth was grinning at him, biting down on her lower lip, her eyes dark and wide, as she slid her bare foot back and forth between Daryl's inner thighs under the table. She was driving him crazy. He could feel himself hardening to the point of erupting and he could feel his cheeks coloring. He couldn't wait to get her out of here, get her alone and let her do those things her eyes had promised. As much as he loved all the others it was always Beth he yearned to be with and he knew it always would be.

Daryl had purposefully kept Beth in the house until it was dark, well as dark as it could get when there was a full moon. Beth had helped Maggie with the dishes while Hershel and Shawn went to watch some TV. Annette disappeared upstairs saying there was something she needed to make a start on. Only Beth knew what she was talking about though and she just smiled at her. Glenn went out the front to the garage to tinker with his car, he thought there'd been a problem with it all day and wanted to get it sorted before it decided to break down on him on his way to work tomorrow. He also needed to be outside to finish the last task he'd been assigned and he had no intention of messing that up. Not if he ever wanted to have sex with Maggie again!

"I'll finish these Beth, why don't you go sit with Daryl, you ain't seen him all day." Maggie took the towel from Beth and ushered her over to Daryl who was still sat on one of the kitchen chairs.

"I saw plenty of him today, _actually._" Beth was grinning madly at him as she went and sat next to him and linked her fingers through his.

Daryl had started to go crimson at the thought Maggie might actually realise what Beth was talking about. There was no way she would but he still felt embarrassed. He squeezed Beth's hand back and widened his eyes in attempt to tell her to stop teasing.

"'Ya wanna go for a walk? I've been virtually bed ridden for days now, I need ta stretch ma legs." Daryl couldn't wait any longer, he just wanted to get out of the house and get on with the evening.

"Hhhmmm…if yer sure yer okay. Where d'ya wanna go, it's a lovely evenin'. I can drive somewhere if ya want?" Beth didn't seem to have any idea what had been going on today which he was both surprised and glad about.

"Nah, jus' out to the barn'll be enough… my stomach'll probably feel like it's gonna fall out by then." Daryl snorted at the thought, although it was probably truer than he realised.

"Okay if that's what ya want, I don't mind drivin' though."

"Come on then Greene...help me up." Daryl held his arms out and Beth helped him stand upright, wrapping her arm around his waist.

"Ya sure you'll be okay? Yunno ya gotta be healed in a few weeks for college don't ya?" Beth didn't want anything holding them back. Stopping their fresh start, not now.

"Beth stop coddling him… he's fine… he just wants to go out on a nice evening. Just take him." Maggie was getting more impatient than Daryl. She was probably more excited too. She couldn't wait to see Beth's face.

"'kay Maggie, we're goin'. Why are you so keen ta get rid of us anyway? Beth looked quizzically at her sister but Maggie gave nothing away.

Beth kept her arm around Daryl's waist and Daryl wrapped his arm around Beth's bare shoulder as they walked slowly across the yard towards the barn.

"The full moon's beautiful tonight don't ya think? Everythin' sort of glows, it all looks brighter, warmer even though it's night time." Beth was looking into the sky.

The stars were out in their thousands it was such a clear night, not a cloud in the sky. It was warm too. Daryl had chosen tonight for a specific reason, it hadn't just been a happy coincidence that it was so pretty. Hershel had mentioned something about a meteor shower being visible soon and Daryl had decided to use that as the backdrop for asking Beth to marry him. He knew Beth loved to look at the night sky. She loved the moon and the stars. And he knew she would like what was supposed to happen later, as long as it did.

"Ya wanna sit in our stall for a while? We can play cards if ya want, yunno I always beat ya." Beth loved playing poker with him but only because it was the one thing she was better at than him.

Shawn had taught them five-card draw years ago but Daryl sucked at it. He was no good at hiding his feelings and was incapable of lying to Beth, all of which made it impossible to win at a game that relied on bluffing. They had attempted strip poker a few months back but he didn't think it was fair he was going to end up butt naked while Beth still had all her clothes on. She'd laughed and said that seemed quite fair to her but Daryl still hadn't been convinced.

Daryl didn't answer her, they were almost at the barn and he was waiting for Glenn to switch on the lights and music. And right on cue he did. Daryl had faith he wouldn't mess up, not with Maggie to answer to.

Before Beth had chance to speak again, her senses were being assaulted by the most beautiful sights and sounds. Her daddy's barn had come alive. The barn doors were ajar and all she could see were thousands of tiny white lights, bright twinkling lights, almost dancing in the stillness of the dark night. She could hear her favourite music too, drifting out from the barn into the silence of the air around them.

Beth had stopped moving now, she was just stood holding tightly onto Daryl as he gazed down at her. Trying to gauge a reaction.

"Daryl. What have you done?" Beth was almost speechless as she stood staring. Daryl knew she must like it. Beth was never lost for words. The last time was when she saw their apartment in Savannah. And he knew she loved that.

"Ya wanna go in an' see? I hope ya like it." Daryl was still nervous. Not about asking her, they'd been unofficially engaged their whole lives and he knew she was going to say yes. He was nervous about whether she would like it all. If she'd think it was too soppy or too much. He didn't think anything was too much for Beth, he'd never had much to give her except his problems so he wanted this to be special.

"Daryl Dixon are you gonna do what I think you are? I love it already and I love you. I love you so much." Beth pulled her arm from around his waist, turned to him and curled both her arms around his neck, crashing her lips into his with force while trying to remember not to knock his stomach. Although she could easily have crushed her body against his. She wanted to tear his clothes off and kiss every inch of him.

Daryl returned her kiss with even more passion, his hands holding her face as his tongue traced circles around hers. Beth thought she might just burst with happiness. She begrudgingly pulled away from him, as much as she wanted to do _things_ to him she didn't want to spoil his plans. Not yet anyway.

"I can't believe yer playin' Norah Jones for me. Ya always say it's too depressin' to listen to." Beth had taken Daryl's hand now and had continued on towards the doors, she was eager to see the rest.

"Ya like her so I ain't bothered. And I like it when ya sing her songs. Ya sound much better than she does."

"Ya do know I only sing that song for you don't ya? Come Away With Me… since I heard it last year I knew it was everythin' I ever wanted to say to ya."

"Well it don't matter no more 'cause we _are_ leavin' soon." Daryl stopped as they got to the doors and Beth stepped into her daddy's barn like she had almost every day of her life.

But this time it wasn't her daddy's barn. Not as she knew it. It was beautiful, shining, glowing, ethereal even. No, it looked celestial. As though an angel had decorated it herself. A sprinkling of stars straight from Heaven.

"Daryl…. How? How on earth did ya do all this? I've never seen anything like it. Anything so beautiful." Beth was walking through the middle of the barn now, spinning round slowly as she looked up.

"Ya like it? Glenn and Maggie did it, they were out here all day. Didn't ya notice how she almost threw ya out the kitchen earlier?" Daryl chuckled at how excited the older sister had been all day.

"They did huh? I suppose momma was in on it too? And what about daddy? He must 'a done somethin' to help?" Beth was laughing but inside she felt so proud at the thought of her whole family helping Daryl out like that, making him feel part of them. Accepting him openly. She knew they had years ago but she was never quite sure Daryl knew it.

Hershel had put together a semi-circle of hay bales covered in blankets and cushions and pillows. Annette had found him all the things he needed and had told him to make it comfy. For Daryl's injury but also because they'd be out here hours waiting for the meteor shower to start. Hershel knew better than to argue or disobey Annette when she was set on something, so he didn't. It was made up to look like a fold out bed. Hershel was so proud of it he said he could have slept on it himself. He'd also calculated the best place to site it so that they had the best view without having to go outside or move around. The Eta Aquarids was a yearly occurrence but he'd never taken much notice before, so while he was in town he asked his old buddy Jed, who'd been into astronomy for years, where they needed to be and at what time. Hershel was nothing if not thorough and he'd always prided himself on doing things right or not bothering at all.

"Come and sit in the clubhouse for a while. I got somethin' I wanna ask ya." Daryl grabbed her arm whilst holding the dressing in place on his stomach and pulled her into their stall, bolting the door behind them.

Beth looked around her and just stood open mouthed. The whole stall had been adorned with flowers and bunting. Bunting she knew her mother must have made. Tiny little letters made of the prettiest floral fabric spelling out 'Beth & Daryl', all strung together and hung along the barn wall. Trailing garlands of flowers were placed along each side of the stall. The most gorgeous and fragrant roses and lilies and tulips and carnations Beth had ever seen. There were more fairy lights draped across the back of the stall too adding to the already perfect setting.

Beth flopped into the armchair, her eyes closing for a moment as she listened to the music and felt her heart begin to race. She hadn't expected anything like this, she hadn't wanted anything like this. But now she wanted to stay here forever, in the little home they'd made twelve years ago. She knew what was coming next though and could hardly contain herself any longer. She sat and let the feeling, the atmosphere wash over her for a moment longer.

Daryl began to lower himself onto one knee, still holding his abdomen in case it decided to split open. The adrenaline flooding his body and the excitement coursing through him had at least masked any pain from his stomach. By the time Beth opened her eyes, he was knelt in front of her, his fingers just about to twirl into her hair.

"Daryl, what ya do that for? You'll hurt yourself." Beth was leant forward now, her hand gently stroking his hair.

"Beth Greene. I've loved ya from the very first day I saw ya. Ya saved me and ya loved me and I want us ta be together forever…" Beth was grinning at him, looking like she might explode any second. Her blue eyes dancing in the bright white light of the barn, urging him to go on. "Beth, will ya marry me?"

"Yes, yes, yes I'll marry you! I'm gonna make you so happy Daryl Dixon." Beth almost squealed her answer, nodding her head madly, shouting loud enough for the rest of the family to hear, before throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him.

"I ain't got ya another ring. I knew ya wouldn't want it. Ya said ya weren't ever taking that one off so I got ya somethin' else instead." Daryl was fumbling around in his pocket trying to find the small bag.

"Daryl I don't need anything else… not now I got the only thing I ever wanted. Not now I got you… forever." Beth was planting small delicate kisses all over his face and neck, which weren't doing anything to help Daryl concentrate on finding the bag.

He finally pulled it from his pocket and handed it to her. It was identical to the one from her Birthday, the same ribbon and same colour. Beth had no hesitation this time with opening it though. Pulling out the most exquisite delicate silver necklace she'd ever seen. It matched her ring in all details except the charm was an angel wing. It was decorated with the same tiny stones and intricate detailing as her ring though.

"Oh Daryl it's beautiful… you didn't need to buy me anything else though, really. I don't need anything in this world only you." Beth was trying to hold back tears. They were tears of happiness, tears of joy.

"It was made special for ya, there ain't another one like it in the whole world. Just like there ain't another person like ya in the whole world." Daryl gently kissed her before trying to get up from the position he now seemed to be stuck in.

"Daryl let me help ya, come and sit in the chair. Then we can go back to the house when yer ready. You need to lie down." Beth helped Daryl stand up and turned him around before sitting him down in the armchair.

"We're stayin' out 'ere all night. There's somethin' else I want ya ta see… only this ain't got anythin' ta do with me… it's all mother nature. Didn't ya see the bed ya daddy made up for us? He put it in just the right place so we can see everythin'."

"What are ya talkin' about? See what?" Beth was confused now, they were sleeping in the barn and her daddy had made the bed. That was something she never thought she'd ever hear, or see.

"Don't matter I'll show ya later. We got a few hours before we need to go out there. We could play cards if ya want. I know you'll win but ya always do." Daryl was now collapsed into the armchair with Beth sat next to him.

"No… I think there's somethin' else we should do… somethin' I've wanted to do since supper." Beth turned to face him and slowly started to kiss him, sucking his lower lip into her mouth and gently biting, tugging on it before crushing her lips into him. Beth grabbed Daryl's hand and slowly pushed it under her dress and between her legs, letting out a moan when his warm hand moved over her center.

"Yer so wet." Daryl had worked his way into her panties, his fingers sliding back and forth along the slick wetness and then dipping inside her. His mouth attacking her chest, moving over her shoulders and neck.

"Uh huh, your fault for lookin' at me and bein' so darn beautiful." Beth was running her hands all over him, touching everywhere she knew wasn't injured as he carried on moving his fingers in and out of her tight center.

"Beth I want ya." Daryl couldn't hold out any longer not after she'd got him so wound up at supper. Not now she was doing it again.

Beth stood up, pulled her panties down, kicking them to the side as she started to undo Daryl's jeans, tugging them down along with his boxers, allowing his erection to spring free. Then she stood back to look at him, biting down on her lower lip.

"Will ya put my necklace on for me? I wanna wear it, I'm never gonna take it off, not for one minute." Beth held the necklace out towards Daryl and turned around, crouching in front of him so he could reach the clasp.

Beth stood back up, running her fingers over the necklace with a smile on her face before finding the hem of her dress, pulling it over her head and throwing it to the floor. She was naked now. She leant forward and grabbed the bottom of Daryl's t-shirt, helping him out of it and dropping it with the other discarded clothing.

"Ugh...Don't move Daryl, yer bleedin'. I think yer dressin' needs changin', there's blood on it. I don't think we should do this. I don't wanna hurt ya." Beth was panicking, she shouldn't have let him come out here, moving around and making himself worse just to please her.

"Beth Greene the only way ya could ever hurt me is if ya left me. If ya went and never came back… I think ya can see that I'm pretty fine." Daryl smirked at her, holding out his hand and tugging her forward between his legs.

Beth giggled lightly. She could see quite clearly the injury hadn't affected his appetite for some things at least. Beth lifted her legs and sat straddling his lap, her hands twisting in his hair as she leant forward and kissed him.

"I love you Daryl." Daryl wrapped his strong arms around her tiny waist and lifted her up and forward until he was pressed against her wet entrance.

He lowered her back down as her warm tight wetness smothered him, until they were locked together just looking at each other.

"I love ya too Miss Greene." Beth looked at him strangely, narrowing her eyes "Well ya ain't gonna be Greene for much longer are ya? Yer gonna be Beth Dixon soon... forever." he quickly claimed her mouth with his, absorbing her moans as he moved her hips back and forth, as he slipped in and out of her.

They stayed locked like this, fitting together as perfectly as two jigsaw pieces. Beth rocking and bouncing in his lap as Daryl held her ass with one hand, the other gripping the back of her neck as he kissed her breasts, sucked her nipples and licked his way around her chest and neck.

Their movement, their panting, their groaning matching the base of the music filling the night air. Beth nuzzled into Daryl's neck as she found her release, chanting his name and breathlessly panting as she continued to pound down around him, her insides continuing to throb as she took him to orgasm. Moments later Daryl found himself releasing deep inside her. Pulling her hard down onto himself, digging his fingers into her butt cheek and groaning into her shoulder as his body tensed and a feeling of euphoria coursed through his body.

They held each other like this for a while, drifting in and out of a sated sleep for a few hours. Curled up in the armchair, bodies entwined, a blanket wrapped around them as they enjoyed once more the quiet solitude their stall gave them. Sheltered from the world for one last time before they left this place behind, before they started fresh.

Around 3 a.m. they dressed and moved out into the barn, into the 'bed' Hershel had constructed. They snuggled down onto the blankets and cushions and watched the night sky. Beth laid curled into Daryl's side as his arm wrapped around her. Beth's fingers played contentedly with the exquisite necklace that laid perfectly over her collarbone. The dark blanket of the night sky, the bright moon and twinkling stars were beautiful as they were, but then it started. A meteor shower sent straight from Heaven as a gift to the earth. A celestial event witnessed only once a year. The bright rocks glistening and gleaming as they made their thousand mile journey from their world to this one. Soaring through the sky, their bright dazzling lives being extinguished one by one as they disappeared into the darkness.

"Daryl I've never seen anything so beautiful… thank you for just the best night ever. I really don't deserve you at all ya know. Maybe I was a saint in a previous life." Beth chuckled at the thought.

Beth continued stroking circles around his chest as she leant up and kissed him. She'd never been happier than she was now and she couldn't think of anything that would ever make her happier either. "I'm gonna do my best to make ya so happy Daryl."

"Ya deserve so much more than I got ta give ya… but one day I will give ya everythin' Beth… and jus' so ya know, I have seen somethin' way more beautiful than this and she's laid right here with me. And she's gonna be mine forever." Daryl tightened his grip on Beth and snuggled his smiling face into her hair. He'd never been happier and he'd never had as much to look forward to. "And I promise...we are gonna be so happy."


	9. Chapter 9: Becoming One

**A/N: Hello again! I hope everyone is still doing ok. We've been hearing so many positive things the past few days. Wonderful theories about what may be happening with the story on the show. We are right there with you guys looking on the bright side of things and maintaining hope. After all, wouldn't that be what dear Beth would want us to do? Some days are harder than others but things WILL get better. The wound inflicted in our hearts during the S5 MSF may scar us, but it will heal. Just hang in there and try to think happy thoughts. I think the next few chapters on this story may help you with that. :-) Thank each and every one of you that has followed, favorited, and reviewed. Your support is so very much appreciated. You don't even know. Thank you!**

**Love you guys - Lola and E xxx**

**The Hunger**

**Chapter Nine - Becoming One**

**_The Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him'...and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. _**

**_Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man.' For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh._**

**Genesis 2:18, 21-24**

**Saturday, June 14th 2003. Senoia, GA. 11.00 a.m.**

Daryl stood staring at his reflection in the full length mirror in his bedroom at the Greene house. He didn't recognise the person looking back at him. It looked like a stranger and he felt like a stranger. He was wearing a dark grey tailored suit, crisp white shirt and pale pink tie, a single pale pink rose buttonhole completing the outfit. Even in his wildest dreams he'd never imagined he'd ever wear something so nice, something so far removed from himself and his old life it felt foreign. Then again he never dared to imagine the dream he had when he was seven years old of marrying Beth Greene would ever become reality. But it had. In some bizarre twist of fate Beth had agreed to marry him, and in only an hour, Beth Greene would become his for all eternity.

Daryl felt sick at the thought though, nervous about what was to come, of being the center of attention, even if it was only in front of his family. His stomach was hardly holding down the two course cooked breakfast Annette had forced him to eat. She'd cooked in shifts so Beth and Daryl didn't actually get to see each other. It was bad luck for the groom to see the bride on the wedding morning, and because Daryl was living with them now it became quite the military manoeuvre to keep them apart, especially after the Greene house had erupted into a flurry of activity as the clock struck 6 a.m. All seven members of the family had been rushing here, there and everywhere, adding any last minute touches to the preparations and getting themselves washed, groomed and dressed.

Beth had crept across the upstairs hallway after finally losing Maggie for a few minutes. The elder sister hadn't left Beth's side all morning, as she primped and preened her pretty young sister. She knocked quietly on Daryl's door, giggling as she told him not to open it. Not unless he wanted the wrath of her mother for years to come. Beth told him she loved him and couldn't wait to become his wife and was going to spend the rest of her life making him the happiest man alive. She pressed her hand lovingly against the middle of the door in an attempt to touch what she couldn't see. Daryl was leant the other side, his forehead pressed into the door as he swore he felt Beth's racing heartbeat vibrating out of her body, through the door and straight into his chest. He closed his eyes as he listened to Beth say the sweetest words he'd ever heard, pleased she couldn't see the solitary tear of happiness roll down his cheek. Daryl told her he loved her and to go back to her room before she got caught and into big trouble. Daryl went back to the mirror to brush through his long auburn hair, trying to calm it down from its usual unruly mess as a smile pulled at his lips. Beth's words had given him a renewed sense of confidence. Although he felt strange and uncomfortable inside still, he knew on the outside he at least looked perfect and that's exactly what Beth deserved.

Beth was so excited, she could hardly wait for the day to start. She'd been awoken at 6 a.m. along with the rest of the house. She'd seen to Blaze as usual and wandered around the barn, taking in how pretty it looked in the glow of the morning sun. Everybody had helped with setting it out the previous day and it was breathtakingly beautiful. They'd left the fairy lights in place from the night Daryl had proposed, they knew it wouldn't look the same in the daytime as it had in the dark but Beth wanted them there to remind her of the most magical night of her life. Although, she was hoping tonight would eclipse that, or at least come a close second. She hoped Daryl would finally leave the last remnants of his hesitance, his awkwardness behind him and embrace their future.

In only seventeen days, the Greene family had all contributed to putting together this special day for Beth and Daryl. They didn't want anything fancy and the whole of their family had vowed to make it happen for them before college started.

Annette, with the help of Beth had made yard upon yard of beautiful floral bunting to match what had already been made for the engagement, this time it was triangles of the prettiest pink floral fabric, some with white letters sewn on and strung together to spell out 'Beth & Daryl' which now adorned every beam and wall of the barn. A white metal archway in the centre of the barn was entwined with the most fragrant and exquisite pale pink and white roses, green foliage, pink carnations and tulips and white calla lilies. An improvised aisle leading from the barn doors to the archway had been cleared and strewn with pink petals, at the request of Hershel. He said his daughter might be getting married in a barn but he still wanted to walk her down the aisle, still wanted the honor of giving her away, even if it did seem old fashioned nowadays. Hay bales had been covered with pastel coloured patchwork blankets and crocheted cushions and lined up along the side of the aisle as makeshift benches for the family. It was really nothing intricate or fancy but it was gorgeous. Every single thing about it had been handmade with love. But more than that, it was all happening in their special place. The Greene barn had been the centre of Daryl and Beth's world for the past twelve years. It was the place they first played together, the place they made their clubhouse, it was where Beth first saw Daryl's wounds and listened in horror as he bared his soul to her, where for years she had dressed his cuts and held him as they both cried, it was the place Daryl first realised he loved Beth as more than just his best friend, the place where they first made love, the place they came when they wanted to be on their own, to dream and plan for their future and it was the place Daryl had proposed. Beth knew they couldn't, and she wouldn't, get married anywhere else. It felt right their new life should begin in the place that had provided them safety and shelter for so many years.

Annette, Maggie and Beth had spent the whole of the previous day preparing food for the wedding buffet. Maggie had made the wedding cake too, a three tiered round cake covered in smooth white frosting, a single pink and green ribbon wrapped around the base of each cake. It was topped with a display of fresh flowers, one pink rose, three white roses and deep green foliage, over which was strung mini paper bunting reading 'Mr & Mrs Dixon'. Maggie also made a batch of gorgeous cupcakes, each covered in pale pink frosting and silver glitter, topped with tiny silver balls and a silver heart shape sparkler. Maggie had always loved baking and had refused to let anyone else even help, she wanted them to be an extra present just from her. Glenn and she had already organised their main gift to arrive at 5.30 p.m. and Maggie could hardly contain her excitement. It was a frivolous luxury, but she hoped they would have fun for a little while if nothing else.

As well as paying for the whole special day, Annette and Hershel had booked the Presidential Suite in the Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta for the night, as their gift to them. Beth and Daryl weren't taking a honeymoon and they would be starting college the following week so they thought they at least deserved one night of privacy to be man and wife. It wouldn't be right to have expected them to have spent their wedding night holed up with five other people and squashed into a single bed.

Even Shawn had joined in and surprised everyone by taking Beth and Daryl out to one of the empty barns the previous evening and presenting them with a red '67 Pontiac GTO. It was old but reliable and comfortable. Shawn had always been into tinkering with cars and motorcycles so had bought this one cheap at auction knowing it needed some work to get it running smoothly. He'd spent the last couple of weeks working on it with Glenn to get it ready in time for when they went to college. Beth and Daryl had never been really close to Shawn, probably more to do with the age difference than anything else, but couldn't thank him enough for just the best present ever. Shawn adored his youngest sister and he'd always had a soft spot for Daryl too if he was honest. Daryl had hardly been able to stop the grin from spreading across his face as he gawked at the classic in front of him, and had spent the next hour talking to Shawn and Glenn about what they'd been doing to it. He knew it would've been months and months before he'd have been able to afford to get them a car, and even then it wouldn't have been anything as amazing as this one.

Midday soon arrived and suddenly there was only Hershel and Beth left in the quiet emptiness of the house. Just a bride and her father. Hershel told Beth how beautiful she was and how proud both he and her momma were of her. He told her how he wouldn't have wanted her to be marrying anyone else and what a good man Daryl was. Beth threw her arms around her daddy's neck and kissed his cheek, biting back tears and the urge to breakdown as she thanked him for loving Daryl and making his life bearable over the last few years. They both composed themselves before starting the long walk to the barn, sun overhead, music drifting towards them and the sweet smell of Beth's tiny but perfect bouquet assaulting their senses.

**Greene family barn, Midday**

Daryl was stood nervously in position waiting for Beth in front of the flowered archway. His heart pounding and his palms sweaty. Seeing the whole of Beth's family sat before him, his thoughts had started to drift towards his own mom. How he wished she was still around to see him marry Beth. He always thought his mom would've liked Beth. He wished she'd been stronger, had stood up to his pa and not spent her life unconscious just to forget everything. He hated that he'd lost her all those years ago, before he had chance to tell her how much he loved her. He hated that she died in such a horrible way. He could have helped her now he was older and stronger, could have took her away from his pa. It was too late now though, she was gone and she was never coming back.

Just as Daryl wondered how much longer he'd have to stand there, the music started to play, filling the barn and drifting into the warm summer day outside. He hardly dare turn around but he couldn't help himself. He wanted to see her, to see the woman that was about to become his wife, to know it was real.

When he finally gathered the courage to move, the vision that greeted him left him breathless. His eyes froze and time stopped moving. The music faded to silence and his surroundings became a blur as his head started to spin. Beth and Hershel appearing to float towards him. Beth always looked radiant and beautiful. That wasn't anything new. Even as a young child who had no grasp of relationships or women, he'd known she was pretty. But now...well she somehow didn't look real. She was like one of his drawings. Something plucked from his deepest dreams and fantasies. Absolutely perfect, nothing out of place, flawless and exquisitely beautiful.

Beth's dress was simple but stunning. It was a strapless floor length gown fitted perfectly to her every curve, designed and crafted with love by her mother. It fell from Beth's waist in waves of the most gorgeous flowing white lace over satin, extending out into a train that trailed perfectly behind her. Beth's hair was left loose, a tiny delicate garland of white daisies crowning the mass of blonde curls that fell over her shoulders and down her back. She was carrying a small bouquet of pink roses and tulips interspersed with white daisies and green leaves, all held together with pink satin ribbon.

Hershel kissed his daughter's temple leaving her stood next to Daryl, the music slowly fading as he went to take his seat next to Annette. Beth looked at Daryl and gave him _that _smile, the one that left him giddy and made him feel like he could do anything. He wanted to grab her, to kiss her and tell her how breathtakingly stunning she looked, but all he could manage was a crooked smile. Beth's face told him she knew exactly what he was thinking though, what he wanted to say and do. It also told him that she wanted the exact same things. As their eyes continued to converse with one another the Minister cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Welcome to the marriage of Daryl Dixon and Elizabeth Louise Greene." The minister looked at the small gathering of family lined up along the edge of the makeshift aisle and smiled.

"You have been asked to gather here to witness and share in the joy of this union between this man and this woman." The minister looked at Daryl, smiling and giving a quick nod indicating for him to go ahead when he was ready.

Daryl wasn't quite sure his voice would actually work. He grabbed onto Beth's hand as he stood facing her. He'd dreamt of this day for longer than he could remember and now it was here he felt slightly dizzy, and nauseous too if he was truthful. Beth looked up at him with nothing but love shining in her bright blue eyes. As if she could feel his hesitance she squeezed his hand and mouthed the words 'I love you', letting him know it was okay, that everything from now on was going to be alright.

Daryl immediately felt stronger, calmer, her touch alleviating any remaining doubt and nervousness. He began to speak and his voice had never sounded stronger or more certain.

"There was darkness for a long time and then there was light, and that light was you. Yer love has given me wings, and our journey begins today. I pledge before this assembled company to be yer husband from this day forward. Let us make of our two lives one life. I want you for today, tomorrow, and forever." Daryl's gaze hadn't left Beth's, not for one second as he vowed to love her for eternity. His thumb gently brushing back and forth over her hand as tears started to sting at this eyes.

Beth continued to look at him as she readied herself for her own vows. They'd written their own, deciding none of the standard ones said enough, not for what they'd been through together. They wanted to say so much more to each other.

"I have dreamed my whole life of havin' someone as wonderful as you, love me the way you do. I give myself to you as your wife, and I promise here to treasure for all of my days the love we celebrate today. Let us bring together our lives and find ourselves anew each day." Beth was trying not to tear up but the way Daryl was looking at her was too much and her eyes began to glaze over, filling with tears. He looked as though he'd just won the lottery. She didn't think it was possible that anybody could be filled with more happiness than she was, but somehow Daryl was. And she was glad that it was her that made him feel like that. That he'd chosen her.

The minister continued on.

"Elizabeth will you take Daryl as your husband, in happiness and with patience and understanding, through conflict and tranquillity?"

"I will." Beth answered almost before the minister had finished speaking. Everyone chuckled at her eagerness to cut the minister off mid-sentence. Beth just looked at them all, wide eyed and trying not to laugh herself, before she was back to beaming at Daryl. Her eyes burning into him with renewed passion.

Maggie passed Beth Daryl's ring and gave her a huge grin. Maggie had virtually been sobbing the whole ceremony, basically since the minister had said 'welcome'. Beth grinned back at her which only ended up setting her big sister off again.

Beth placed her bouquet down on the hay bale behind her. She took hold of Daryl's left hand, holding it in her small shaking ones and slid the plain silver band onto his second finger. Beth had had it inscribed on the inside with '_You Shall Never Walk Alone…I Am Always With You_'. She would show him later and make sure he understood she meant it. That she was never leaving. Beth looked up at him again and smiled, relieved and happy her part was over and that Daryl Dixon was now finally hers. Forever.

"Daryl will you take Elizabeth as your wife, in happiness and with patience and understanding, through conflict and tranquillity?"

"I will." Daryl couldn't stop himself from touching her beautiful face. Gently tracing the back of his fingers down her cheek, a flash of electricity suddenly shooting between their bodies as he committed himself for eternity to the only woman he would ever love.

Glenn passed Daryl Beth's ring, almost dropping it he was so nervous, which made Daryl smile. The threat from Maggie about not messing up or else was running on a loop through Glenn's head. Beth hadn't wanted to take it off and had left it until the very last minute, only passing it to Glenn when she had to. She hadn't wanted another one, even though this one hadn't meant to be a wedding band. The ring he'd given her a year ago was the only one she ever wanted to wear on that finger.

Daryl lifted and cradled Beth's left hand, it looking almost lost in his larger one. He slipped the ring back into its usual place on her second finger. Beth touched him, again feeling the shock of electricity that was building between them. Her right hand combing gently through the hair behind his ear as his very soul smiled back at her.

"In the years which shall bring Daryl and Elizabeth into greater age and wisdom, we hope that their love shall be ever young; that they shall be able to always recover from moments of despair. In this hope, may they keep the vows made on this day, in freedom, teaching each other who they are, what they yet shall be, enabling them to know that, in the fullness of being, they are more than themselves and more than each other, that they are all of us, and that together we share joyously the fruits of life on this earth, our home." The minister looked around for a moment giving everyone a chance to reflect.

Annette and Maggie had silent happy tears falling, their hands clinging onto sodden handkerchiefs. Glenn looked lost, his arm around Maggie's shoulder, not knowing what else to do. Shawn was just Shawn. Daryl thought he looked happier than usual though, he thought maybe after last night they'd all become closer. Maybe seeing his little sister get married had touched him more than he wanted to admit. He never was one for words or emotional situations. And then there was Hershel. Daryl was pretty sure he was trying to hold back tears as he sniffed and rubbed his eyes. But he looked so happy and proud. And Daryl could see he was proud of _both_ of them, not just Beth. That knowledge made Daryl feel complete in a way only Beth's love had been able to before. He realised that maybe having a family of his own had mattered more than he'd ever thought before. Then he thought about the little girl in his dreams and wondered if she would be real one day. If Beth and him could have their own family and be as happy as everyone was right now.

After a few moments the minister finished his part of the ceremony, breaking Daryl from his daydreams.

"In as much as Daryl and Elizabeth have declared their love to each other before family and friends, I now greet them with you as husband and wife."

"You may kiss your wife." The minister smiled and gave a sly wink to Daryl. Giving him the okay to do what he'd wanted to do since the second he saw Beth in that dress.

So he did. He placed his hands either side of her head, pulled her close and kissed her. He kissed her like no one was watching, like she was the air that he needed to breathe, as though they were back in their favorite place, alone. His kiss left her breathless and it left them both aching for more.

When he finally pulled away from her, his breath heavy and eyes dark with desire, he murmured against her ear, so only she could hear "I love ya Beth Dixon and I'm gonna spend the rest a ma life showin' ya just how much… startin' later." Daryl squeezed her hand tightly as he felt a sudden swell of confidence course through him.

Beth closed her eyes for a second as a frisson shuddered through her center and a slick wetness soaked her new lace panties. She'd waited over a year for him to say that, for him to take charge, make the first move. She'd prayed that maybe after they were married he'd start to gain more confidence, knowing she was his in every way possible, she just hadn't expected it to be this soon after the wedding. But she wasn't complaining, her legs had gone weak at the thought of him being in charge. Of him overpowering her and forcefully taking her, making her moan in ecstasy as he took what was his. What had always been his to take.

"Daryl…I can't wait for later. I need ya now… please." Beth's voice was just as hushed as she started to rub her thumb across the back of his hand, tracing her thumbnail in circles over his warm skin. She looked up at him and saw hunger in his eyes, the same longing to be with her that she had to be with him. There was a different kind of happiness written across his face, one that had never been there before. A happiness that seemed to be etched into his very soul now where before his soul had only been ingrained with sadness. She wanted nothing more than to run off with her beautiful new husband and spend the afternoon making love. She longed for him to drag her outside, rip her dress off and pound into her with wild abandon.

Daryl just smirked at her wildly before they turned around and started to walk hand in hand back along the petal strewn aisle. Grins plastered onto their faces as Maggie and Annette covered them in confetti. The beautiful pieces of pastel coloured paper fluttering down over the couple as they walked out of the barn and into the lens of Glenn's camera. Glenn had been given the task of photographer for the day and when he hadn't been comforting Maggie, had been discreetly taking snaps throughout the ceremony. Again, Maggie had given firm instructions for him to get some good photos, no pressure then he'd thought to himself.

Glenn took more photos of the happy couple outside the barn and walking back towards the house. Shawn volunteered to take over camera duty for a while so Glenn could actually be in some of the photos too, which had Maggie jumping all over him, kissing Glenn's face off. They all huddled around the bride and groom for a group picture, the camera set on timer. Lord knows what everyone was doing by the time it actually went off. Talking and laughing mostly, but it was a certainty Daryl was kissing Beth, he'd done nothing except kiss her since the moment the minister told them they were man and wife. No one minded one bit about the photo though, that was the point, they wanted to capture the emotion of the day, the happy and carefree mood of the occasion not the formal planned postures couples usually went for.

Daryl hadn't been able to hold back from kissing and touching Beth at every opportunity. Her face, her hands, her neck, her hair, her shoulders. Any piece of bare flesh he could get to. They were married now, she was his and all he really wanted to do was take her upstairs right then and there and _do things_ to her. New exciting things. Things that would blow her mind; the way she blew his every time she touched him. He wanted to do things he'd never had the courage to do before. He wanted for them to get lost in their own little world again. He knew they couldn't though, not just yet. He would have to wait a little longer. He wouldn't do that to Hershel and Annette, they deserved time with their daughter on her special day. Time to say goodbye and get used to the fact that things had changed.

The next few hours went by in a blur. A happy, warm and surreal blur. Every single minute was filled with talking, laughter and happiness. Daryl and Beth hardly able to contain the utter feeling of euphoria that had engulfed them since the moment they caught sight of each other in the barn.

After eating and drinking all they could, Hershel decided it was time to wish his son and daughter a future full of happiness. Hershel stood and cleared his throat, everyone turning to look at him. "I just want to say a few words. It's tradition for the Bride's father to speak and I'm nothing if not traditional, so I will be boring you for a few moments I'm afraid. I just want to take this chance to tell two of the most important people in my…in _our_ life…" Hershel was stood looking at Annette now, a smile crossing his lips as he rectified his mistake "…that we couldn't be prouder. Of _both_ of you. You've given us so much pleasure these past eighteen years Bethy. We couldn't have been given a kinder, sweeter, more caring daughter…"

"Huhhum…" Maggie interrupted, her eyes narrowing as she mockingly folded her arms across her chest in indignation. Before letting a smile cross her lips and unfurling her arms.

"Yes Maggie. It goes without saying that includes you too." Hershel smiled at his elder daughter as she snorted and flapped her hand at her father, rolling her eyes.

"I'm kiddin' daddy. I ain't never been any of those things and I ain't likely to start bein' them now either." everyone laughed as Hershel carried on.

"Well there isn't much I can say that hasn't been said a thousand times before, by every father to his daughter on her wedding day. Every father believes their daughter is the best daughter in the world, every father thinks no man is worthy of her…. Well, every father except this one. This father _knows _he has the most special daughter in the world and this father _knows _the man she just married is worthy of her." Hershel paused for a moment as he tried to compose himself. He could see every face around him was tearing up and as much as he wanted to end it here, to bring back the happiness of the day, he wanted to make Daryl understand he was part of the family. That he always had been since that first time they met. Hershel looked intently at Daryl now, who was almost crimson from the embarrassment of being the center of attention.

"I know no one could ever have made our Bethy any happier than you have Daryl. In the last twelve years I don't think I can remember ever seeing Bethy unhappy, and Annette and I know that was down to you. Everyone here knows that no one will ever love her like you do and we can rest easy knowing she has you to take care of her now, to keep her safe and secure and provide for her. We love you both very much and pray you stay forever as happy as you are now…" Hershel paused to take a breath, Daryl couldn't help but let a couple of tears roll silently down his cheek, before quickly wiping them away with his sleeve. Hearing those kind words come from the man he had loved as a father for all these years was too much to bear. Daryl was gripping onto Beth's hand so tightly under the table he thought he might leave bruises. He needed to know she was here with him though as he continued to listen to the loveliest words he'd ever heard.

"And Daryl, I dare say you still haven't realised, even after all these years, or after what I've just said, but Annette and I have thought on you as a son since the day our Bethy brought you home... You know you made quite an impression for such a quiet small boy. Especially on Annette and Bethy here…." Hershel chuckled at the memory, his eyes full of love. The crinkles around his eyes catching the midday afternoon sun that was streaming through the huge picture window behind him.

"And me too daddy… geez, I'd never seen someone so small eat so much, or so fast… I thought ya were gonna choke on that last piece of pie Daryl, ya crammed it in so quickly! And ya stared at me for ages, yer eyes wide, like ya were ready to fight me for it, d'ya remember?" Maggie chimed in again before she started to chuckle, looking at Daryl with a mischievous look in her eye and winking at that first memory she had of the man that was now her brother. Daryl grinned back at her. Of course he remembered. He remembered that moment as if it were only yesterday. That was the first time he'd ever experienced a flash of white light, a daydream about something that wasn't really there. It was the first time he'd ever really felt warm and happy and loved. He remembered touching Maggie's hand and her looking really beautiful, wearing the exact same dress she was wearing right at this very moment. He hadn't known it then, but he was seeing his future, his wedding day.

He looked away from Maggie and dropped his eyes to the ground, gripping onto Beth's hand even harder for strength, like he had done so many times over the years. This time though it wasn't because of the ugly, horrible and nasty things his pa subjected him to. It was because of the nice, kind things his new family were saying, how they were looking at him. The lovely memories he had... of all of them.

"Anyway Daryl, I think you stole my wife's heart the minute you complimented her cookin'. She's only ever had eyes for you since that day!" Annette started to blush crimson now too as she looked at Daryl and smiled, remembering exactly what he'd said to her that first day. Her eyes now filling with tears of happiness instead of tears of sorrow as they had that evening.

Daryl looked up and met Annette's loving eyes and he saw everything he ever needed to know to confirm his old life was well and truly gone. His heart missed a few beats as he tried to work out how he got so lucky. He felt that same familiar feeling of warmth and love reaching out and touching him, but this time it was coming from his new family, not Erika. Then his mind continued to wander. When he thought about it, and he thought about it a lot lately, Erika had been the one to push him into Beth's path at school that day, she'd been the one to push him to ask Beth out, she'd been the one to always make sure he knew Beth loved him in his moments of weakness, of doubt. She'd been the one to warn him the night his father stabbed him. He hoped he would see her again someday. He wanted to thank her, whoever she was, for always being there and for caring. He'd also figured out Erika appeared when he was sad or in danger or at a crossroads, so now he was happy and settled, his life mapped out, he didn't know if he would see her again. If it meant he had to be unhappy, maybe he'd be content to leave things as they were. Maybe she knew how grateful he was, she seemed to know everything else about his life. Daryl was gently pulled from his thoughts about Erika as Hershel continued on.

"I speak for all of us here when I say we wish you all the love and joy in the world. And a lifetime of health and happiness…. And don't go waiting too long before you make me a grandfather…I'm an old man already you know." Hershel glanced at Daryl and smiled when he said this and the poor boy surely could've dropped through the floor he looked so mortified.

"Daddy!... what about Maggie…. or Shawn…. go pester them to give ya grandbabies!" Beth threw the embarrassment back into the room, deflecting the comment away from them as she rubbed along Daryl's thigh with the hand he wasn't holding, gently squeezing as she looked at him and mouthed the word 'sorry'. She knew he'd feel awkward about a comment like that. They hadn't really talked about children and she knew he was shy about anything to do with sex.

Daryl just grinned at her though, he wasn't upset at all. All he'd thought about for so long was making a family of his own, having children with Beth. Children that were perfect little angels just like their momma, children that would be happy, that wouldn't ever know pain like he'd known it. Then he saw her and she started to giggle again, the beautiful blonde haired angel that looked like her momma but had her daddy's eyes, dancing around in his head like she did so often lately. It was only the shock of Hershel actually saying it out loud, like he knew what Daryl was thinking, that had made Daryl blush.

"Are you two gonna get on with cuttin' the cake then or what?" Shawn piped up, either eager to change the subject of grandchildren or just wanting to make his exit as soon as he could. Everyone turned to look at him and he shrugged "What? They probably just want some time on their own. Don't want us lot holdin' 'em up all day."

"Shawn, if we're boring you then just leave." Maggie turned to look at her brother and rolled her eyes in annoyance. Shawn just grinned at her. He'd always liked winding up his little sister.

"Nah I ain't goin' anywhere, and I ain't bored… just want some a yer cake is all sis." Shawn grinned at Maggie and she couldn't help but smile back at her brother.

Maggie immediately sprung to her feet, almost running to the kitchen to fetch the wedding cake. She carefully placed it in front of the happy couple and passed them the antique silver cake knife that had been in the Greene family for generations, winking at Daryl again. Beth stood up, pulling Daryl to his feet and pushing him behind her. Beth put the knife in Daryl's right hand and slid her fingers over and through his. The shock of Beth's skin touching his unsteadied him. A blinding flash of white light behind his eyes took him back to another time and place. He was inside the daydream he'd had that night at the dinner table when he was six.

_Maggie was placing the tall cake down onto the table. She passed Beth the triangle shaped knife. Beth placed the knife into Daryl's hand and slipped her fingers through his. They cut through the cake together. Daryl turned to look at Beth but she was older and even more beautiful. Maggie was watching them but she looked older too, gorgeous, and was wearing a lovely pretty dress. He looked down at himself and he was tall, big and wearing a suit. _

Beth stroked his fingers with hers and Daryl was suddenly back in the room, everyone else staring at him oddly for a second, but not saying anything. His eyes flicked across his family to confirm he wasn't still dreaming. Everything in that daydream was exactly as he was seeing it now, it was happening in exactly the same way. He knew now he was living the heaven he's glimpsed so many years ago. Maggie just smiled at him, a warm, knowing, loving smile that gave him the exact same feeling he'd had all those years ago when he ate that first piece of pie. The feeling he was totally and utterly loved.

Beth and Daryl cut through the top layer of cake as Glenn took photos and the others clapped. Daryl's left arm was now curled around Beth's waist and his body pressed hard into her back. She gasped as his mouth moved over her ear and he whispered to her, his boldness from earlier suddenly back. "I love you Beth. I'm gonna make ya so happy… startin' real soon." He tightened his grip around her waist and pulled her backwards, slowly grinding her body against his erection. Beth instantly flushed crimson and let out a low groan as images flooded her mind. Images of Daryl holding her down and pounding into her. Taking what he wanted and using her to satisfy himself in ways he never had before.

Neither Beth nor Daryl could hold out any longer. They'd been given the most perfect day by the people they loved most in the world and they'd loved every single second of it. It had been like a fairy-tale and they'd not have changed anything about it, but they'd spent hours posing for photographs, sitting to eat and drink, cutting the cake and listening to speeches, all the while unable to really touch each other, not in the ways their minds and bodies wanted to. They needed to celebrate on their own now, loose themselves in each other for the very first time as husband and wife.

Glenn was deep in conversation with Shawn about cars or engines or something equally manly and boring. Those two could talk for hours about anything like that. Glenn seemed to be the only person Shawn really talked to. Maybe he'd been in desperate need of a brother instead of two sisters when he was younger. Daryl had been far too young to take up that mantle but Glenn was only a couple of years younger than Shawn and they'd just clicked, from the first time Maggie brought him to the farm to meet everyone, they'd virtually become inseparable.

Annette, Hershel and Maggie were oblivious to everything else around them. They were sat down, heads together, flicking through the photographs Glenn had taken throughout the day; laughing, squealing and talking about how fantastic it had all been. Hershel wasn't quite as enthusiastic or loud as the two ladies, although that could've been to do with the fact they'd been drinking wine and champagne all day and he hadn't! But he looked happier than either Beth or Daryl had ever seen him before and that made them satisfied that they could concentrate on themselves now.

Beth and Daryl stood in the corner of the room watching their family with love in their eyes, it may have been small but it was all they'd ever needed. They were the only people they'd ever need. But they knew it was time to make a quick getaway. To have some time on their own.

"Wanna slip away somewhere with yer new husband, Mrs Dixon?" Daryl had his arms wrapped around Beth's waist as he stood behind her, his chin placed on her bare shoulder as a happy smile pulled at his lips.

His quiet deep voice coupled with his warm breath catching around her ear had goose bumps erupting over every piece of exposed flesh and sent a cool shiver down her spine.

"You have no idea how much, Mr Dixon. I've been waitin' all day for you to ask me that." Beth groaned, turned around and threw her arms around his neck. She kissed him, her lips melting into his as he held her tight.

After a moment Daryl pulled away. He grabbed her hand and dragged her behind him, running out of the house and all the way across the yard. He slowed to a walking pace after he could see how breathless Beth was. He looked at her and smirked

"Ya ain't gonna conk out on me are ya now Beth Dixon? 'cos I got plans for ya." Daryl squeezed her hand and smiled down at his wife, his eyes filled with pure desire.

Beth flashed a smile back at him as her stomach flipped, her breath catching from the excitement of what was to come. "You try wearin' a corset and then runnin' across the yard in full sun!" Beth was more composed now but her heart was still pounding. She thought that was more to do with the beautiful man beside her, her beautiful husband and his _plans_, than the fact she'd been running.

Daryl didn't answer, no smart remarks. He just carried on walking, his arm now wrapped tightly around Beth's waist, as they approached the barn. Daryl watched his wife intently though, as she leant her head into his chest, oblivious of his attention. She was the most gorgeous creature he'd ever known and she was somehow now _his wife. _He thought how he'd never get used to saying _my wife_. Telling people she was his and that Beth Greene had chosen to become Beth Dixon and that she'd promised to love him forever.

He watched the way her dress moved as she moved, the way the train flowed behind her, waving slightly in the warm breeze, the way her golden hair glowed yellow in the sun, the way the slight sheen on her exposed chest and arms glimmered. He took in the way her breasts were displayed to him under the crushing tightness of the corset, the way her silver angel wing necklace glistening as it caught in the sunlight as she rapidly breathed in and out.

They reached the barn but Daryl grabbed her hand and pulled her to the side and around the back. Beth was confused, she just assumed he would take her into the barn, to their stall or the hayloft. They were the places they always went when they wanted to be alone.

"Daryl where are we goin'?" Beth was giggling as Daryl continued to drag her by the hand until they were stood at the back of the barn.

Daryl didn't give her chance to look around. He pushed her gently backwards into the barn and pressed himself into her, his hands coming up to rest on the wooden slats of the barn either side of her head, effectively trapping her there. Their bodies became flush as he pressed his firm body hard into her smaller softer one. Their two hearts now beating as one as the electricity from earlier was suddenly back. Without time for either to speak his mouth was claiming her neck, hard and forcefully. His tongue dragging over her delicate skin as he bit and sucked. Beth started to groan loudly at the new sensation of Daryl touching her without being prompted. His mouth then moved lower, kissing the soft white mounds that were offering themselves up to him as if a gift from the Gods.

Even through the heavy thick material of her dress she could feel his hardness again, pressing against her stomach with an urgency. Beth pulled back slightly, gasping for air as her chest heaved up and down. Beth ran her fingertips down his cheek as she looked at him. She thought he looked different somehow. Less shy or awkward. More at ease with himself and her. More confident in his ability to please her. She never did understand why he had no confidence there; he was the most gorgeous man she'd ever laid eyes on. Every time he looked at her she felt electricity pulse through her body and when his skin touched hers she felt her soul set on fire from the ecstasy.

Beth glanced over Daryl's shoulder, suddenly distracted as something colorful caught her eye. It was the most gorgeous blanket of wildflowers she'd ever seen, filling the fields all around them. There was mint, purple clover, black eyed susans, primrose, wild roses of all colours and her absolute favourite too, honeysuckle. She stepped sideways as she ducked down and under Daryl's arm and a grin started to cross her face. She ran over to where the flowers started, bending down to touch and smell each and every one of them.

Daryl was left there facing the barn, his arms stretched out around an empty space and he couldn't help but smile. It was his own fault for bringing her to such a pretty spot, he knew she'd be unable to refrain from touching and smelling the flowers. But he didn't mind one bit because he got to enjoy watching Beth as she floated away from him towards the flowers, her dress flowing out behind her, her hair loose and tousled and her gentle laugh filling the sweet fragranced summer air.

"Beth." Daryl called her name and the second she turned her beautiful smiling face to look at him he took a photo. Capturing her for all eternity in the prettiest place he'd ever seen. He knew the image would never ever leave his memory, not even if he lived for a thousand years, but he wanted to capture it anyway. Keep her frozen in time, never to change, never to grow old. To him she would always stay as she was at this very moment. The happiest moment of his life.

"Daryl! Where d'ya get that camera from?" Beth sounded mischievous as she cocked her head to the side. Just as she asked the question, she noticed the bundle of blankets and pillows that Daryl had arranged in a shady spot further along the barn wall. Beth started to walk over to them with a huge grin on her face.

"Glenn gave me his spare and I thought I could take some pictures of ya, ones jus' for me… did I tell ya yet how sexy ya look in that dress Mrs Dixon?" Daryl was now looking as though he might rip it off her at any minute.

"No I don't think ya did… why don't ya tell me now….why don't ya show me?" Beth was now laid flat out on the blanket looking like she'd just dropped directly from heaven. Her golden hair splayed out like a halo around her head. Her dress arranged perfectly around her like a bed of feathers. Her arms were outstretched to Daryl, beckoning him to join her.

Daryl walked over to stand at her feet, looking down on her as if glimpsing his own private piece of heaven. Beth grinned back up at him, her face still flushed from their earlier embrace and her chest still heaving from being held tight within her corset. Beth started to wriggle around on the blanket, giggling, as she posed and smiled for him, her husband taking more pictures of the ethereal creature before him.

Unable to wait a second longer, Daryl put the camera down, took his jacket off and knelt on all fours over Beth, trapping her legs between his as his hands secured themselves to the ground either side of her hair. Daryl's face was only inches away from Beth's now and he could feel the heat radiating from her rosy cheeks, from her quickened heavy breath.

"Mrs Dixon… yer so beautiful… yer ma perfect beautiful angel…the most gorgeous… sexy woman… I've ever laid eyes on…" Daryl was now back to frantically biting and sucking his wife's neck, trailing his tongue around her ear in between mumbling the sweetest words she'd ever heard "…and I wanna make love ta ya… right here… now." Daryl locked his dark eyes with Beth's, his heart pounding hard against his ribs at his sudden boldness. He knew this was going to be over quickly though, he was too wound up from a whole day of thinking about what he was going to do to her, thinking about being inside her. Inside his wife. But they had a whole night ahead of them where they could go slowly. Right now they both just needed release.

"I love you so much Daryl. More than you'll ever know." Beth felt dizzy as Daryl's words echoed around her head.

His lips crushed down onto Beth's, his tongue snaking out and lashing against hers, taking her breath away. Daryl's hand was entwining itself through her golden hair, tugging her head backwards allowing his tongue to roughly plunder every deep recess of his wife's mouth as she moaned into him. His other hand made its way downwards over the lacy fabric of her dress, around the curve of her breast, over her waist, down the outside of her thigh. Daryl was frantically grabbing handfuls of dress as he gathered it upwards over her long legs in his desperate need to feel her silky smooth skin under his fingers.

Beth returned his heated kiss with the same wild fervor, deeply and madly until they were both panting and groaning. She wanted him to take her so badly, she could hardly believe he'd initiated this whole beautiful situation. Beth's hands were now roaming across his chest in encouragement, pulling his tie loose and undoing as many buttons as she could reach. Her hands then moving around his strong back and down over his firm butt.

Daryl's hand was now trapped under layers of gown, sliding over her velvety soft skin, groping her ass before his fingers finally started to roam over her center. They wriggled around, slipping inside her soaked lace panties before moving smoothly and firmly over her throbbing bundle of nerves. Beth jolted at the sudden sensation, electricity coursing through her entire body once more. Her arousal coating Daryl's fingers as he moved quickly and with purpose, eager to please his new wife. He rubbed in hard and fast circles until Beth was panting and moaning his name.

The palm of Beth's hand was stroking along the length of Daryl's erection, keeping time with the rhythm of his fingers as they slid back and forth either side of her clit, slipping and rubbing deliciously over her sensitive flesh until she was tumbling over the edge, unable to stop herself screaming his name. Her center rapidly convulsing and clenching as Daryl growled into her neck, his own release only moments away now.

"I wanna be inside ya baby, let me make love ta ya." Daryl mumbled into the heated skin of Beth's neck as his hand grabbed for hers, stopping it from moving over his erection.

He reached down to unzip his pants and pull himself free before tugging Beth's panties to one side.

Beth had one arm curled around Daryl's neck, the other was undoing the rest of the buttons to his shirt and throwing his tie to the ground while her mouth attacked his neck, sucking and biting, marking him as hers. Beth scraped her fingernails down his now exposed chest, eliciting a low growl from Daryl. He buried his mouth into the soft skin behind her ear, licking and sucking as Beth panted out more encouraging words.

Unable to hold back any longer, Daryl grabbed his cock and pressed it into Beth's tight wet entrance just slightly, holding under her ass with one hand whilst the other cupped her face as his mouth was once again working over hers.

He growled out as he slowly pushed into her, going further and deeper until he was pressed hard onto her cervix. He stayed unmoving as he enjoyed the sensation of just being held tight in her walls. Beth yelped at the new sensation, her whole body now flushed and burning, her center on fire, desperate for him to move, for him to pound in and out of her until he took her to orgasm again.

"Daryl, don't stop. Move. Please." Beth tried to move her hips but he held her still for a moment longer. He pulled back slightly to look at his beautiful wife's flushed, sweaty face once more. Her swollen bruised lips, her dark blown pupils and the look of pure desire that was radiating from her every pore.

He knew he wouldn't last, but he didn't care. He just wanted to make love to his wife. He wanted to do what he'd been thinking about all day. What he'd promised her he was going to do. He started to move his hips. Slowly at first, pulling out and then slipping back as Beth tightened around him. Beth's pleads for him to go faster and harder had him lose control as he began to pound into her with wild abandon. Hard and fast and deep as he groaned out her name, Beth panting and moving her hips in time to his every thrust. When the first sensations of orgasm began to rush his body, his fingers were suddenly back on Beth's clit, rubbing hard and fast as he carried on sliding in and out of her tight wet center, desperately wanting to take her to orgasm again before he found his own release. Another few thrusts and he was there with her, releasing his climax deep inside his wife as her convulsing walls held him tight and a rush of euphoria raced through his body.

Daryl rolled off Beth's shaking body, allowing her to once again breathe. They lay on their backs, side by side, breathless but with grins on their faces. They didn't speak for a time, they didn't need to. They were both enjoying finally being on their own, finally getting the chance to consummate their marriage, after torturous hours of restraining both their thoughts and their hands.

Beth reached down for Daryl's left hand, lifting it from the ground between them and holding it in her smaller one. Her fingers started to swizzle the silver band she'd put there only hours earlier, as she remembered Daryl still hadn't seen the inscription yet.

"Take your ring off." Beth suddenly broke the silence as she excitedly sang the words out at Daryl.

Daryl's head snapped around to look at Beth, panic setting in as he wondered what was going on. Beth could see the panic and quickly continued "Don't panic silly, it's okay, just take your ring off. There's somethin' I want ya to see."

"I don't wanna take it off. Ever." Daryl was looking at her, confused by her request.

"Just take it off Daryl, I promise you can put it straight back on again." Beth rolled onto her side and stroked the back of her fingers down Daryl's cheek as she giggled at him "Please…"

Daryl hesitantly pulled the silver band from his finger, holding it towards Beth, still with no idea what she meant.

"Look on the inside." Beth couldn't wait for him to see, but she also felt a little bit nervous.

Daryl twirled the ring between his thumb and forefinger, noticing lettering around the inside of his ring. He tilted his head and twirled it again so he could read the inscription. '_You Shall Never Walk Alone…I Am Always With You_'. Daryl just stared at it, blinking as he re-read the words and tears started to prick at his eyes.

"Do ya like it?" Beth sounded hesitant. She waited a while before carrying on. She wasn't sure if he'd think it was too much, too soppy or just stupid "It took me an eternity to decide what to say….I just wanted ya to know that… well...that I'm yours now, forever. I always have been yours Daryl… but I don't think ya understood… believed. I love you, more than I can ever explain, I always have and I always will. You _never _have to be alone or scared or sad again Daryl, never. Even if we're apart, I'll always be with you…" Beth laid her hand over Daryl's heart "…in here." Beth moved her hand slowly over his bare chest as she snuggled into him.

Daryl composed himself and tried to think of something to say that could even half explain the complete and utter happiness he was feeling at this second "Beth it's beautiful… it's the most amazin' thing I've ever been given…. and yer the most amazin' thing I've ever seen…" Daryl slid the ring back onto his finger "…and I ain't ever takin' it off again." Daryl leant down and placed a long lingering kiss on her forehead "I've never been this happy Beth. Never. I don't ever think I will be again, nothin' could top how I feel now. I love ya Mrs Dixon."

Daryl suddenly remembered the gift for Beth he'd been carrying around all day in his pocket. "Beth I got somethin' for ya to…I ain't had chance ta get ya on yer own all day….I wanted ya to have it before the wedding but there weren't no chance a gettin' past ya momma or sister." Daryl gave a chuckle and smiled that crooked smile she loved, but he looked embarrassed. Like he was back to being six again; shy and unsure.

"What is it? Yunno the only thing I wanted today, I already got, don't ya? You're all I wanted Daryl." Beth sat up, sliding her leg over Daryl's waist and pulling herself into a sitting position. She threaded the fingers on both her hands around the back of his neck, pulling herself forward, placing tiny feather light kisses around his face and ear.

"Shit….Beth, stop…" the warm soft mouth of his wife was tenderly caressing his skin in the way it always had but this time he felt different. He felt worthy, he felt like it was okay for him to feel this way. Daryl couldn't help himself, his mouth was on hers in an instant. His lips merging with hers as his tongue carefully slid around the inside of her mouth, eliciting the most heavenly sweet sounds from Beth's pink lips. Daryl grabbed onto Beth's ass with both hands, squeezing and rocking her back and forth against his now already hardening cock. They stayed locked together like this for an age, moaning and groaning until Daryl remembered what he'd been doing before Beth distracted him.

He moved one arm away from Beth's ass and fumbled around in his pant pocket, pulling out the gift and holding it out for her.

"I think it's tradition for the groom ta give his wife a present on their weddin' day…. and well, I didn't wanna let the side down. Everyone made today perfect. Everythin' was jus' how it shoulda been."

"Yunno ya didn't have to buy me anythin'. I ain't never been one for gifts. My favorite thing is just you and me, sittin' alone in the barn, watchin' the night sky. You wrappin' your arm around me and holdin' me close." Beth smiled his favorite smile and sat up straight again. She took the velvet pouch from him, hardly able to contain her excitement.

She undid the bow and tipped the bag up into her palm. Out fell a tiny pair of silver angel wing stud earrings. They were identical to the necklace she was wearing. Each feather had been individually sculpted and inlaid with the tiniest sparkling diamond.

"Oh Daryl they're gorgeous…I love them. I love them so much." Daryl pulled Beth back down into him, holding her close as she buried her face into his neck and kissed him, mumbling how much she loved him as she tightened her hand around her beautiful new earrings.

Daryl's nervousness at giving her another gift suddenly disappeared. He took the earrings from her hand and stuffed them back in the bag and in his pocket. His mouth now working its way along Beth's neck, throat and chest and around her naked shoulders. He wanted her so badly again now he was aching. The way Beth was grinding herself over his hard on wasn't doing anything to help him think straight either. They had to get back to the house though. Everyone would know by now that they'd slipped away. He groaned inside at the thought they'd all know what they'd been doing. He could feel the embarrassment coloring up his cheeks already.

"C'mon Mrs Dixon, get up. We gotta go back to the house." Daryl forced himself to sit up and lifted Beth and her mountain of dress off him.

Beth looked at him like someone had just stolen her candy "Daryl!…you best have plans to make it up to me later that's all I can say… ya ain't supposed to refuse me anythin' now we're married!" Beth narrowed her eyes in mock anger at him, but couldn't help but burst out laughing. Beth reluctantly stood up and tried to smooth down her dress and calm down her now wild looking hair.

"I ain't refusin' ya nothin' Mrs Dixon. You'll jus' want me more if I make ya wait a while." Daryl smirked at his new wife.

Daryl was stood, buttoning his shirt, putting on his tie and zipping himself back up. Beth threw him his jacket and he picked up the camera, not wanting to leave it behind. His mind suddenly smiling wickedly as he saw images of a naked Beth, and him capturing her forever on film. He thought he should keep the camera with him… for later. Then he smiled and shook his head to stop the filthy images that had suddenly invaded his mind.

Beth grabbed Daryl's hand and pulled him into her side. "It ain't possible for me to want ya more than I already do Daryl… but a girl can only take so much frustration before she explodes, ya know." Beth snuggled her head into his shoulder, a huge smile on her face. They walked like this, hand in hand until they reached the house.


	10. Chapter 10: The Beginning

**A/N Well, it's Friday again already! So... here's the next chapter. It's a lovely, sexy, fluffy chapter full of more Bethyl goodness. We hope it gives you a lovely warm glow inside to know Daryl and Beth really are blissfully happy together somewhere! **

**We also hope you are all keeping well and keeping the faith regarding the fate of our dear Beth Greene on TWD. There are so many theories flying around now it is hard not to stay positive and believe we will see her again sometime in the future. However, regardless the direction the show goes in... our Beth and Daryl are having quite a good time at the moment! **

**Thank you again for all your lovely reviews and comments. It really does make us happy to know we are providing a little ray of sunshine to our fantastic readers at an otherwise sad time. ;-)**

**Again, thank you for your continued support. Please enjoy and review... Love LolaRita and eReedus xx**

**The Hunger**

**Chapter Ten – The Beginning**

To Daryl's relief, no one said anything about their disappearance except Maggie shot them a knowing glance and smirk. Annette just handed Daryl a cupcake – she was always feeding him – and the conversations continued as normal. At 5.30pm there was a knock on the door and Glenn and Shawn ran to grab Daryl and Beth's bags. While Glenn and Shawn went out and returned empty handed, Maggie explained that she and Glenn had rented them a limo to take them to the hotel. A limo? Daryl and Beth just looked at each other and grinned. That was going to be new.

The whole family trailed after Daryl and Beth as they fled to the car. Rice and flower petals were thrown and everyone clapped and hugged as the last congratulations and goodbyes were said. Daryl practically stuffed Beth into the limo and threw himself inside. The wedding was wonderful but it was still unnerving to Daryl having everyone crowd around and watch them like that. He appreciated the whole event more than he could have ever explained, but he had been ready for it to be over. Everyone was standing by the car cheering and catcalling as Beth and Daryl waved goodbye through the open window. The sunset was even beautiful today, highlighting the sky with brilliant pinks and purples and oranges. Daryl tried to memorize this moment so he could call back to it, every lovely moment, and every happy face of his whole family.

As they pulled away from the house and silence finally settled over them, the shock of the whole day washed over them both and they sat in the back of the stretch limo and looked at each other wide-eyed for a good long time. The trance was finally broken when the driver cleared his throat and gave them some quick instructions about the radio, the mini bar, the sunroof, the privacy screen, and the call button. Then he wished them a comfortable trip and closed the privacy screen between himself and the newlyweds, finally giving them a moment of peace and solitude together as man and wife.

Beth and Daryl looked at each other and giggled uncomfortably for a moment. It was strange. It was nice, but totally unlike them and Daryl had to admit that he felt a bit uncomfortable in his nice suit in a fancy car sitting beside the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on. All of it was too pretty for the likes of Daryl Dixon. He played with his fingers nervously as those deprecating thoughts tried to sneak in. The silver band on his left hand glinted in the romantic lighting of the car and he toyed with it. Daryl thought that any moment he would wake up from this beautiful dream and he would be back in his father's run-down shack waiting for the next beating.

Beth noticed, of course she did, and she knew from the look on his face exactly what was playing in his head. She fiddled with the radio a bit more, delighted when she stumbled across some Norah Jones. Then she moved back against the seat and wrapped her arms around her husband's torso, looking up into his eyes questioningly. "Regrets?"

"Naw. It's just all too pretty for me. You're too pretty for me. Guess I'm just waitin' for everythin' to fall apart, yunno?"

"That's not gonna happen. Stop it and kiss your _wife_." Beth gave him that smile that made his heart stop and all of those thoughts were banished from his mind. He kissed her chastely. Then again and again and again until neither of them could breathe. Beth was still pressed up against his chest, but she leaned her head back smiling as she panted to catch her breath. As she did so, Daryl's eyes couldn't help but travel downward. Beth's strapless lacy dress allowed her breasts to be pushed upward and they were resting so perfectly pert against him as her long neck stretched upward toward her beautiful bruised mouth.

He was on her before he even thought about it, claiming her neck with his mouth with even more passion than earlier, surely leaving marks. Beth gasped in surprise and giggled as he ravaged her, pulling her even more tightly against him. His mouth and tongue traveling all over the expanse of her exposed chest and neck. Beth shifted so she was straddling him, sitting in his lap. Even through all the layers of their clothing, she could feel his need. Beth was a rational girl and she figured this didn't need or want to wait until Atlanta.

Beth pulled Daryl's head up to claim his mouth again with hers, but she pulled away slightly, making him moan in protest. She did it again and his eyes blazed up to hers. "What?!" Beth just giggled at him and let him have her mouth again. After he had kissed her long and hard, he pulled back. "Ya playin' games, Mrs. Dixon? Don't make me punish ya…'cause I will." Daryl grinned at her maniacally and Beth's breath caught in her throat. The playfulness of it paired with his deep quiet gravelly voice almost sent her to orgasm alone.

Beth had waited forever for Daryl to take charge and now she was getting a glimpse of what ecstasy that would entail. She decided to push it and see what would happen. Beth grinned back at Daryl and leaned down to give him a chaste kiss. Before he could deepen it, Beth pulled back again and left Daryl with his tongue probing thin air and he groaned. Beth leaned forward again over him and braced both hands on the seatback behind him. She looked into his eyes and watched his pupils dilate as she slowly ground her hips down onto his growing hardness again and again, careful not to press too hard and aggravate his tender wound.

Daryl groaned loudly and reached up to bring her head down to his. Beth didn't allow it, though. She pulled back once more, ran her hands quickly back through his hair…then got off him and sat back in her own seat. "What the hell, Beth?" She looked at him from the corner of her eye and just shrugged. She couldn't help the wide smile that spread across her face, though, as she crossed her legs and clasped her hands in her lap.

The silence stretched on between them for what seemed like forever. Beth was waiting…waiting for Daryl to "punish" her, but she suddenly realized that she may have made a huge mistake. What if he took it as a rejection? Her head snapped to him and she started to apologize. When she met his face filled with humor and a predatory glint, though, Beth realized that he had just been patiently waiting for her to concede.

He was waiting for that win and then he was on her. His mouth was on hers, his tongue probing deep in her mouth, his hands groping her breasts hard through her gown. He was forceful with her and she loved it. Daryl was on top of her now, straddling her dominantly. He stilled and looked at her pointedly, getting her full attention. Keeping her eyes, he slowly inserted his tongue flatly between her breasts as far down as her gown would allow and then ran it up between them. His wet tongue played its way up her chest, slowly up her neck and flicked into and out of her gasping mouth.

Daryl still kept Beth's eyes as he slid himself down her body and lowered himself to the floor in front of her with a wide grin. He began gathering the lace of her gown in his hands. "Daryl?!" she squeaked. Beth knew that she was still sticky wet from their earlier go-round behind the barn and her new arousal from here in the car. She was afraid she knew where this was going and she wasn't sure if it was really something Daryl wanted to do. And it wasn't something she was sure _she_ wanted him to do.

It was Beth's turn to be awkward and shy. They'd never done that before and she felt wholly unprepared. It was Daryl, but it embarrassed her at the thought of him so close to her _down there_. Sure, she'd done it for him, but this…this was different. Beth felt her whole body flush a bright crimson as she reached her hands out to stop him from lifting her wedding gown. She uncrossed her legs and pressed her thighs tightly together. "Daryl…" His fingers were on her mouth before she could continue. "Shh. Keep quiet, Beth." He ran his hand across her cheek and continued slowly all the way down her body until it reached his other hand where her gown was gathered.

Daryl never took his eyes off of Beth's. It was powerful, looking at her and thinking about what he was about to do to her. Daryl was also enjoying seeing how shy she was about the idea. Usually, he was the one to feel shy about sex. It felt kind of nice to be the one in charge now. And he wanted her like this. He wanted to claim her, wanted to share new things with her, wanted to watch her face as he shocked her with new sensations.

Daryl lifted Beth's gown and shifted it around so he had a full view of her long lovely legs. He frowned up at her for locking him out, though. Daryl couldn't help but roll his eyes at her just a little and grin. "Really, Mrs. Dixon? Now yer shy?" He chuckled at her as he leaned back up and kissed her gently. "Just relax, Beth. I wanna do this with ya. It's alright." He kissed her lightly again as he ran his hands up and down her bare legs and then parted her thighs gently.

Beth's tiny white lace panties were soaked through and through and Daryl felt a swell of masculine pride as he slid them off her and stuffed them in his coat's breast pocket. He smirked at Beth as he did so and she blushed even redder. Finally, her sweet center was bared to him up close. Beth sucked in a deep breath as Daryl's hand cupped and massaged her gently, letting one finger slip between her folds, teasing. He looked back up to Beth's eyes and lowered his mouth to her downy curls, kissing her gently there. Beth thought she was going to pass out and he hadn't even done anything yet. She let her head roll back on the seat and relaxed her legs as much as she could, inviting Daryl to continue as she tried to catch her breath.

Daryl kissed her again and again all around her center, finally using his thumbs to part her folds for better access to her most private parts. Feeling a rush of air where she'd never felt before, Beth's head shot forward and locked on Daryl's in shock as he extended his tongue and licked around her opening and upward over her clit and then out. Daryl made a show of rolling his tongue in his mouth, licking his lip, and smiling up at her in approval.

Beth's head snapped back hard on the seat as her legs tensed again. "Oh God, Daryl." She couldn't watch him; she wanted to, but she couldn't. She already felt like she was literally going to explode. She did not need the visual aide; it was too much. So she felt him as he arranged her legs on his shoulders for a more comfortable position. He grabbed her ass and pulled it forward until she was barely sitting on the seat. Then he went to work.

Daryl lapped at her center, circling her entrance again and again. He didn't really know what he was doing; just playing and enjoying himself, but he was watching and feeling Beth's body for positive responses. She wasn't looking at him, but that was ok. He could feel and taste her excitement and that was more than enough. He dragged the tip of his tongue up to tease her clit and Beth jumped and held her breath. So that's a good thing, Daryl thought.

He closed his lips around the little bundle of nerves and sucked gently, trying to create a rhythm. It must have been good because Beth tightened her legs on his shoulders, drawing him in, and started to move her hips against him in the same rhythm. That made Daryl want to work harder. He started alternating long licks to her entrance back up to her clit and sucked, then over and over again. That certainly did the trick. She was pouring sweet nectar from her center. Daryl couldn't believe how much he enjoyed her taste. Beth started to thrash beneath him and he was forced to physically restrain her as she got closer and closer to her climax. "Daryl…Ahh…Daryl…I'm gonna…"

Then he stopped. Suddenly. Grinning at her evilly, Daryl untangled Beth's legs from around his neck and sat back to catch his breath. Her head snapped up at him so hard, Daryl briefly wondered if she might have given herself whiplash. Her eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head. Beth was bright red from head to toe and she was literally panting. "Daryl? … Daryl?!" She sounded panicked as he got up and moved to his original seat, adjusting his clothes and hair. He glanced sideways at her and shrugged. Beth's eyes got big and wide as he threw her own game back in her face.

Daryl reached over and adjusted Beth's wedding gown back down over her legs and tucked a stray lock back behind her ear. "Oh my God, Daryl. I hate you." Beth looked like she might cry as she adjusted herself uncomfortably on the seat. Then she looked up at him and grinned. "That…that…oh my God."

He chuckled at her as he pulled her back next to him on the seat and wrapped his arms around her. "I warned ya about playin' games. 'Sides, we're almost there and we got plenty a time to finish that up." He kissed her hard, letting her taste herself on his lips, and then leaned to her ear conspiratorially. "And I _am_ gonna finish it up. And then some. Mrs. Dixon."

Beth didn't know exactly what had caused this shift in her husband, but she didn't care. She liked it and she figured she was about to start liking it even more before the night was through.

The stretched black Cadillac pulled up to the Four Seasons in Atlanta right after full dark had settled and the brilliant lights of Midtown Atlanta were dazzling. The driver had paged Beth and Daryl and politely told them to make themselves comfortable for a few more moments as their bags were delivered and they were checked in. Beth opened the sunroof and marvelled up at the lights while she held tight to Daryl. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" She asked.

But Daryl only had his eye on one brilliant light, and it was sitting right next to him. "Yep. Sure is." Despite his usual hesitancy, Daryl couldn't wait to get Beth upstairs. They belonged to each other now. It was official. There was no reason for him to hold back anymore and he decided then and there that he would never hold back again. He had loved the way Beth had responded to him a few minutes ago when he took charge and he longed to do that to her over and over again. Daryl's mind raced with wicked ideas and he was getting impatient.

"What'cha thinkin about?" Beth looked at him slyly. She already knew by the look on his face.

"Don't worry. Yer about to find out." Daryl grinned down at her. Beth turned scarlet. The driver opened the door and helped Beth out. When Daryl stepped out beside her, the driver handed him a set of key cards. "19th Floor Presidential Suite. Elevators are straight through the lobby to your right. Your bags have already been taken upstairs and delivered. All amenities, room service and anything else you need have already been covered by Mr. and Mrs. Greene. Congratulations on your marriage Mr. and Mrs. Dixon. Good night."

They walked hand in hand to the front door. A doorman held it open for them and they continued into the lobby, stopping for a moment to take in the expanse of marble and the grand golden chandelier above them. The sight of the beautiful couple, obviously just from their wedding, had all eyes turned to them. Beth felt like a queen, truly, especially when the people in the hotel applauded them. It was Daryl's turn to blush as he took Beth's hand and led her to the elevators.

There was a woman stepping out of the elevator as they approached it. As soon as Daryl saw her, he grinned. It was Erika, there was no mistaking those heavenly blue eyes. She was smiling at them. As she started to pass them, she reached out and brushed the sleeve of Daryl's coat. "Such a pretty couple! Why don't you let me take your photo under the chandelier? Hmm?"

"That would be amazin! Daryl, you still have the camera, don't ya?" Beth practically sang. It was obvious that Beth didn't recognize Erika so Daryl didn't say anything. Beth moved to position herself under the grand chandelier as Daryl fished out the camera and handed it to the woman who had been so incremental in making this happy day a reality. He wanted to say so much to her, to thank her, to hug her and tell her that… maybe even to tell her he loved her. In a funny way, he did, Daryl realized. He couldn't get any of it out, though, and how would he explain it all to Beth even if he could?

It didn't seem to matter though. Erika was looking back at him as if she heard every word straight from his heart. Maybe she did. He could have sworn for a moment he saw tears swimming in those blue eyes. Daryl moved to pose for the picture and then they crossed back over to collect the camera before heading into the elevator. Daryl gave the tiny woman a nod and a great big smile, hoping she understood. She smiled back at him and winked. Beth thanked her and went to press the call button. Erika leaned in quickly and whispered to Daryl, "Whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith. I love you, Daryl, and I'm so proud. Congratulations." And then, like always, Erika had disappeared.

Daryl thought that today had finally become perfect. 100%. He crossed to the elevator as it opened. He pulled Beth in and didn't even wait until the doors closed before he pressed his mouth hungrily to hers. They had just started to move when Daryl reached out and punched the stop button. "Daryl? What are..." But his mouth was back on Beth before she could continue. He pressed her against the wall as his tongue invaded her mouth and his hands searched her dress.

Beth escaped his lips and threw her head back to laugh in delight and Daryl joined her. Daryl's hand finally lifted her skirt and gained the access he needed. His lithe fingers stilled over her wet center as his eyes caught hers. He was serious again suddenly. "I love ya, Beth."

"I love ya too, Daryl. More than you'll ever know."

He kissed her again as he plunged two fingers all the way inside her, then stilled as he let his thumb play around her clit slowly. Beth gasped and then pressed herself farther onto Daryl's hand. Their eyes stayed locked together as Daryl stayed still, all except his thumb as he allowed Beth to use his hand how she needed. She ground slowly, finding a rhythm that suited her as the fire in her eyes intensified. It was hot watching her get herself off like this, Daryl thought. He got an idea and wiggled his fingers a little as she slid up and down.

Beth's head flew back and hit the elevator wall hard. She reached up to massage the bump as both of them snickered. Daryl stroked his free thumb against her bottom lip before kissing it lightly. "Sorry. That feel good?"

"You have no idea. Please...do it again." Daryl kissed her deep as he did as she asked, moving inside her as she rode his long fingers. As he pressed hard on her clit, he curled his fingers toward himself in a come-hither type motion and Beth practically jumped on him. She came hard and sudden. Daryl felt it as he tightened their kiss. He swallowed Beth's cries of ecstasy as her body clenched around his fingers desperately.

He grinned wickedly down at her, but her eyes were closed as she leaned her head back to recover. Daryl reached over and released the stop button then held his wife upright as they travelled to their room. When the elevator door opened, Daryl handed Beth the key card out of his pocket and swooped her up into his arms as she giggled. He held her out, letting her swipe the door access and then they entered, Daryl kicking the door shut behind him.

He paused as he carried her into the main room and sat her down gingerly. There was a living room with a wide set of windows overlooking the dazzling lights of Atlanta. It was gorgeous. The lines and the grandeur of this place were like one of Daryl's drawings. Actually, it was JUST like one of his drawings, almost to a tee - especially with Beth standing in front of him looking out at the view.

She turned from the windows and faced Daryl. "You know, I think we could both use a bath. Don't you?"

He grabbed her and pulled her close again. "As long as we can do it together?"

"That's what I meant, silly." Then Beth pulled away from him, running toward the open doorway of the bedroom. Daryl didn't immediately chase after her, though, he just watched her intently as he retrieved the camera from his pocket. He was enjoying the view as her gown flowed out behind her and her hair tousled with her steps. He wanted to remember this moment forever, even the sound of her happy giggle and the swish of her dress as she moved.

"Beth." Daryl called after his wife for the second time that day, clicking the camera as her smiling face turned to answer him, capturing her beauty for all eternity once more; the flush of her cheeks, the messiness of her hair, the love in her eyes and the happiness radiating like the sun from every single pore of her being.

"Daryl! Really? More pictures?" Beth grinned wickedly at him, pausing to think for a moment before she carried on. "You really should let me get undressed before you take any more... you do want ones of me naked? Ones just for you?" then she giggled, turned and carried on into the bedroom.

Daryl stood there momentarily, grinning from ear to ear at his wife's suggestion. When she was out of sight, Daryl finally followed. He swallowed hard and took a deep breath, his heart starting to race at the realisation of what was to come. Beth was really his now and he could do anything he wanted with her. And there was so much he wanted to do with her he hardly knew where to start. Tonight was just the beginning though, they had a whole lifetime to do it all.

He found her in the bath, standing stock still. The bathroom was gorgeous. Double sinks with wall mirrors faced each other along both walls and vases of fresh cut flowers sat on each sink. Small wall chandeliers hung from the middle of each mirror and another large chandelier hung overhead, creating an amazingly romantic effect. A garden tub and another gold framed mirror stood through a doorway ahead of them. It was all amazing.

Daryl grasped Beth from behind, looking at their reflection together in the mirrors. "Wow."

"Yeah. Woah."

Daryl was amazed by the image in front of him. It looked like a glimpse of heaven, complete with an angel. He kissed her hair several times as she smiled lovingly at him in the reflection. Stay here, I'll draw up a bath. The hotel had left an assortment of bubble bath and oils. Daryl slipped in some cotton blossom oil and ran the water to hot before returning to Beth. She was watching him. "What?"

"Yer beautiful, Daryl. You belong in a place like this, ya know."

"Pfft. Stop." He blushed, but he didn't protest any more than that. It was useless with Beth.

He moved behind her again and raked her hair off her shoulders behind her and kissed her neck before sliding his hands down over her shoulders and arms. Daryl found and lowered the zipper on the side of her dress and let it pool on the floor at her feet. The lacy corset she was wearing underneath was amazing. It pushed her breasts up, almost as an offering to him and Daryl felt himself stiffen, despite trying to hold back. He growled appreciatively and kissed her neck again as he gave her a steaming look in the mirror. She was blushing again. Damn it, that's so hot, Daryl thought. He ran his hands, barely touching, across the corset, over her breasts, down her flat stomach, and down through her blonde triangle of curls before bringing his hands back to task. He unclasped and released the corset, letting it fall with the dress as he palmed Beth's perfect breasts and tweaked her nipples lightly.

Beth turned on him and practically ripped his jacket off. Daryl leaned down for her mouth, but Beth pulled back and shook her head as she smiled. "No. Take all this off. Let's get in the bath. I can't wait." Daryl didn't need to be told twice. He was naked in record time.

He helped Beth into the steaming bath and followed her in. Pulling her backward into his lap, he just held her to him tightly for a moment and felt her heartbeat against his chest, savoring the steady calming rhythm of it. It was a tender moment and he kissed her temple as he played back this whole day. Daryl ran one hand up from her waist, to her chest and felt her heart against his hand. "I love ya." He whispered in her ear. "I'm gonna make ya so happy, no matter what I gotta do." Beth sighed and leaned her head back against his shoulder.

Daryl couldn't resist running his hand back down her body to rest on her stomach, imagining what it would be like to know there was a tiny little heartbeat there, as well. The thought of a little blond haired angel came to him again briefly and he felt tears try to spring to his eyes. He saw her giggling, Beth's same giggle, as she spun in the sunlight and looked at him with the same blue eyes he knew from his own reflection.

He was drifting into a dazed sleep but was roused by Beth shifting in his lap. Daryl opened his eyes to Beth's beautiful face. "You already conking out on me, Daryl Dixon?"

"Nah, just lettin you take a break. Thought ya might need it. Beth _Dixon_."

"Oh my God. I'll never get tired of hearin' my new name." Beth giggled and kissed him tenderly. She pulled his hands up to her breasts, showing him that she was ready to move along with the honeymoon.

"Hmm. Ya ready for another round?" Daryl chuckled at her as she ground down on him.

"Mmhmm. You are too, huh?" Beth answered his chuckle with one of her own and grinned down at him. She didn't wait for an answer. Beth reached beneath the water and grasped his hard cock before sliding her body onto his member. It was quick and both of them paused at the sudden ecstasy. After a moment, and both of them gasping a bit, Daryl lifted Beth by the hips up and down on him, causing the water to ripple. He moved his hips against her, hitting a tender spot inside her. Beth's fingernails dug into his shoulders exquisitely. "Oh God Daryl. Just like that." He did it again and again until they were both breathless.

Daryl lifted Beth off of him and moved to his knees as Beth was. She was smiling at him again, that smile that drove him wild. Sitting in this tub with her breasts bared to him above the water and her most sacred place hidden below, she was a sinful and wonderful gift. Daryl kissed her again. He plundered her mouth forcefully with his tongue, not giving her time to accommodate him before he pulled back and did it again. He noted that Beth's breathing quickened. So she liked that, he thought, liked him taking control.

Daryl grabbed Beth's waist and forcefully snatched her forward against him. Their wet skin slapped together salaciously as water sloshed over onto the marble floor. Daryl grabbed Beth's ass and ground her slick wet body against his, letting her feel his hardness gliding between them as he looked at her smoulderingly. "Jesus Christ Dar…" Before Beth could finish, Daryl spun her in the bath so her back was to him.

"Shh, Beth. Trust me." Daryl carefully rearranged their bodies to a comfortable position, his legs between her spread ones. He let his hard-on knock against her ass under the water as they moved, teasing her and himself. Daryl leaned against her and moved her hair to one shoulder, flipping it all forward to hang over her breast. He massaged her back briefly, letting his hands roam on her soft silky skin and up and down her long graceful neck before traveling down to fondle her tight little ass. Then he moved his hands slowly around over her hips and up her sides. He lifted her arms, positioning them out across the sides of the tub and leaned their bodies forward.

Daryl used one hand to align himself with Beth's entrance and pushed inside just an inch before returning his hand back to hers on the side of the tub. He interlaced their fingers and then shoved himself forcefully into her. More water splashed onto the floor and Beth and Daryl both cried out at the feeling of the sudden entrance. Daryl didn't stop for them to adjust, though. He found a fast hard rhythm and took Beth from behind. His long hard strokes were punctuated with encouraging words whispered quietly in her ear as he pressed them together faster and harder. Beth was panting and gasping loudly as water continued to rock out of the tub with every stroke. The added feeling of the hot water churning against them as they made love only heightened the thrill. Beth was meeting Daryl stroke for stroke as they neared their climax. As they hit the precipice Beth screamed with delight as Daryl bit and sucked hard at her exposed neck, marking her as his.

They fell limply to lie together on their sides in what little water was left in the tub. Daryl noticed that Beth was shaking like a leaf. "Hey. Beth? Oh God, did I hurt ya? Scare ya?" Then Daryl realized that she was laughing quietly. She turned onto her back and pressed Daryl's hand between her legs to caress her gently for another moment while she came down from her orgasm. She shook her head and chuckled gleefully up at him. Daryl just looked confused back down at her.

"You've never done that before, but I liked it a lot. Ya know, when you took control like you just did? Put me in place, held my hands. It's sexy and I knew you weren't really gonna hurt me or anythin' so I wasn't afraid. Do…do you think that's weird?" She looked unsure as she made her confession.

"Nah, Beth. I have no idea what I'm doin'. Ya should tell me the things ya like and don't like." He grabbed her chin and shook her head a little to accentuate his point as he glared at her lovingly. "And I ain't ever gonna think yer weird. Alright?"

Beth grinned up at him provocatively. "Did you see the curtains in the bedroom?"

It was an odd question and it threw Daryl for a loop. What the hell did curtains have to do with anything? What was he, an interior decorator or something? "Uh, nah Beth, I must have missed the curtains. I guess I was distracted by other things." Daryl turned his head uncertainly at her and shook his head in confusion.

"Well, I think you should notice them." Beth grinned again and moved her face up beside his so she could whisper in his ear. "They're silk and they have some really nice matchin' tie-backs." Beth lay back again in the tub and ran her hands up and down Daryl's wide chest. She looked back up at him and raised her eyebrows. "Just thought I'd point it out."

Daryl's eyes were huge as he stared at his wife. This woman was going to be the death of him one way or another.

Beth kissed Daryl once more and then made her way out of the tub, wrapping herself in one of the plush robes provided by the hotel.. Daryl watched after her as she made her way to the bathroom sink and started brushing through her tousled hair. He'd never gotten to watch her like this before and she was absolutely beautiful. He got out of the tub and went to her, wrapping her in his arms and squeezing her. He turned her around and sat her on the counter, taking the brush and combing through her hair. Enjoying himself. He noticed that Beth was watching him intently, studying him.

"What?" Daryl asked. He was aware that he was completely naked in front of her to scrutinize and he blushed. He trusted Beth, of course, but she was so beautiful and he was so...

"Nothin'. Just thinkin' how much I love ya." Beth brought her hand up and brushed some of Daryl's dark locks away from his eyes. "Thinkin' about how gentle ya are, how lovin' ya are, how beautiful ya are. And how I could just drown in these eyes a yers." Daryl just looked at her skeptically, but didn't say anything. He kissed his wife for the billionth time that day and he knew he'd never get tired of it. The feel of her lips against his, the smell of her, her warmth; it was like being in that hot tub again. It made him warm and relaxed and happy.

Daryl reached forward and untied Beth's robe, sliding it off her arms so he could look at her again in the open, in the light. She ducked her head bashfully. Daryl lifted her chin so her head was tipped back and kissed her chin lightly. Then he ran his hands slowly all over her body, letting himself lavish the soft skin over her collar bone, her breasts and perfect nipples, her flat stomach and long lean legs. He parted her thighs and pushed her shoulders lightly back against the mirror.

Daryl took a small step back and took a moment to worship Beth with his eyes. She was perfect in every way, he thought. Inside and out. She was soft and innocent and wholesome and confident and flawless. The complete opposite of his doubtful heart and his scarred body. Beth opened her eyes and reached for him and he went to her immediately. Despite his doubts, he would never be able to deny her.

"Make love to me again, Daryl. Please?" That wouldn't be a problem. She could obviously see he was already hard as a rock again. She pulled his hips toward her and scooted forward on the countertop. The height was perfect, in fact, and Daryl eased his way inside her body. This time he was achingly slow. He wanted to explore her inside the same way he had been exploring her skin moments ago. When they were finally fully connected, Beth's arms wrapped around his shoulders and she tucked her head underneath his chin as they made love slowly. Daryl's mind continued to meander down that sad path that was his self-doubt as he gazed at himself in the reflection.

His scars. Daryl watched in the opposing bathroom mirrors as Beth ran her perfect hands across the mutilated skin of his back as he slowly worked in and out of her. As Beth traced one of the raised marks idly, all of that ugliness that was Daryl's past came rushing back at once and he stilled inside her as his shoulders involuntarily jerked under the touch of her hand. Beth's eyes were on him instantly, searching for the cause of his discomfort. She realized it immediately. She pulled Daryl closer to her and sat up a bit so she could look over his shoulder to the mirror behind him.

Daryl looked down and watched her with dread and worry…and shame. Beth's eyes, however, were full of love and determination. She glanced at him and then ran her hand back around his body to trace another scar slowly. Daryl tensed and closed his eyes in embarrassment. He made to pull himself from her body, to run and hide from the realization he knew Beth was finally about to have about him, but Beth tightened her legs around his hips, holding him in place. Since he couldn't escape, Daryl turned his head away as tears sprang to his eyes. "No Daryl. Look at me." His scared eyes reluctantly met hers. "No, look in the mirror. I want to show you somethin'."

As Daryl sniffed and took a sideways glance into the mirrors behind Beth, she took the opportunity to thrust against Daryl, pushing him deep inside her where he belonged. She wanted to keep him distracted a bit as she knew that this next part might be difficult for him. And she also wanted to create a new happy memory for Daryl regarding those hateful scars. The feel of her push against his groin brought Daryl's eyes to Beth's again.

"No. Look…" She tilted his head up to the mirror. "See this scar?" She traced one of the smallest lightest scars on his back. "This was the first one that I healed for you, remember?" She traced it several times, stroking back and forth slowly as she ground her hips to him in time with her fingers. She continued to explain. "It was that day ya didn't come to school in second grade. I found ya in our barn stall hidin'. But I patched ya up and healed that wound. I made that scar, not him. He made the wound but I healed it. Ya shouldn't be ashamed of it. It's mine."

Daryl watched in the mirror in wonder. The pleasure he was feeling was immeasurable. The pleasure of their slow love-making. The pleasure of her fingers on him, her loving non-judgmental eyes. The way she was stroking him with her fingers and her words. Her words were a balm to his soul. What she said made sense. He always thought of those marks as ugly reminders of the pain, the beatings, and the cruel words of his father. But they were really reminders of Beth's love and caring for him. Nothing else.

Beth took her time and traced every scar she found. Eventually Daryl took over the stroking of their lovemaking, timing it to the feeling of Beth's touches, leaving her free to use both hands to play over his skin. She remembered every welt and what caused it. She reminded Daryl that each one belonged her as they made love.

The scar from third grade when Daryl's teacher sent home his report card and Daryl didn't get to it before his pa – his father hadn't liked seeing the straight-A's.

The two scars from sixth grade when Daryl decided not to go home for two days straight. That was when Beth had been so sick with the flu and Hershel had let Daryl curl up with Beth to soothe her. Daryl had never wanted to leave. It was a wonderful memory for Daryl even though he had been so worried about her being sick.

The big long deep crooked one across the middle of his back was from a briar switch. Daryl had gotten that one after one of pa's friends chided him about seeing Daryl walking Beth home holding hands. Will Dixon hadn't liked that at all. The beating hadn't stopped Daryl from continuing to do it every day, though.

It went on and on. Beth stroking away the pain of each of Daryl's scars, explaining where they came from and how she had worked to heal each one – how they had fallen in love a little bit more over each wound. At some point, the tears had started to fall from Daryl's eyes as he watched Beth in the mirrors, watched them make love, watched as all the ugly he associated with his body faded away.

Eventually there were no more scars to soothe and Beth grew quiet and cried in relief along with Daryl. They continued to make love, watching each other in the mirrors in the beautiful elaborate bathroom. It was their own little world, their own little piece of heaven. Daryl idly swore to himself that he would build a bathroom just like this for their own home one day so they could relive this moment whenever they wanted.

As their tears started to die away, Beth reached up and stroked Daryl's face, wiping away the wetness there and urging him to look down at her. "There's no more scars now, Daryl. There won't be any more scars in the future. Not as long as I live. I swear to ya. I won't ever hurt ya and I won't ever let anyone else hurt ya either. Ya hear me?"

Daryl smirked down at her and wrapped his strong arms around her body, lifting her and pulling her flush against him so she could feel every hard line of his body pressed to hers. "Promise?"

"Yeah, I do." Beth giggled at him. He was obviously poking fun at her a bit, showing off how much bigger and stronger he was than her. As if a little thing like her could protect him. He had no idea what she would be capable of, though, if it came down to her protecting him. She looked at him seriously. "I'd die for you, Daryl. You know that, don'tcha?"

Daryl frowned at that suggestion. "Ya ain't ever gonna die. Don't ya dare even suggest that. Ever."

Daryl readjusted their bodies and thrust into her before she could answer. He hit just the right spot inside her and this time he knew it. Daryl grinned at Beth as she stopped breathing and tightened her fingers around the nape of his neck. Daryl was already close and he stroked in and out fast and steady to bring Beth to her climax quickly along with him. As he came hard inside her, Daryl let his mind drift again in the hazy afterglow of his orgasm.

With Beth's warm softness wrapped all around him, Daryl pictured the glow of a sunny afternoon. There was a birthday cake whose candles had just been blown out, a wax figure indicating "five" on it. Hershel, Annette, Maggie, Glenn, and two beautiful little dark-haired boys that could only have belonged to Glenn and Maggie were all around the table watching his blonde angel clap excitedly about the thought of her wish. Daryl took a picture. But he frowned as he realized that Beth was missing... and something else that he couldn't remember. Just then Beth came out of the house with a tub of ice cream, a great big smile… and a great big belly full of baby.

The whole image was so beautiful Daryl couldn't breathe and so real that it was like he was actually there. His daughter ran to him and he picked her up so he could twirl her around high in the air. She seemed to want to speak, but when she moved her mouth nothing came out except a giggle. He looked into his daughter's eyes – a mirror of his own. He saw a knowledge there beyond her years, beyond _his_ years, as if they were supposed to be sharing a secret but he didn't know it and she couldn't tell it. She kissed his lips and threw her little arms tightly around his neck. Then she giggled.

His daughters giggle echoed in the hotel bathroom and it became Beth's. "Daryl?!" She was laughing now, but looked a little concerned as he opened his eyes to hers. "Hey, ya ok? Ya breathin?" Beth was nudging him gently back into reality as he tried his best to sink back into his dream. He couldn't do it though, no matter how hard he tried. "Lord. I'll never understand where you go when you do that."

Daryl just shook his head at her and grinned shyly. "Just thinkin' about the way things are gonna be. Our future and everythin'." He ran his fingers lovingly through her hair and across her face. Then he pressed one of his hands against her belly and Beth drew in a tiny gasp. "Thinkin' about all kinds a things we got to look forward ta." It shocked her, he knew. They'd really never talked about it yet. She was so cute sitting there, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to think of a proper response. He kissed her to give her mouth something to do while she thought it over.

When he drew back, she was looking at him slyly with a big grin. "If that's what ya got in mind, Daryl, we'd better get ta practicin'. Don't ya think?"

He laughed at her then. A big hearty laugh with no restraint. "Yeah, I reckon so." He leaned in to her ear and whispered conspiratorially, "Why don't we go have a look at those curtains you was so keen on earlier?"


	11. Chapter 11: Changes

**A/N: Friday again! We hope everyone is having fun getting ready for Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate)! Here's a little special gift for all of our fellow Bethylers. :-) Enjoy and please review if you have the time! Love, Lola & E**

**The Hunger**

**Chapter Eleven -Changes**

**Saturday, November 6th 2004. Savannah, GA**

Beth was stood in their bedroom, her legs spread apart and her back pinned hard against the wall to stop her from falling. Daryl was sat naked on the floor between her legs, his face buried in his wife's pussy. Her loud breathless pants and moans as she mumbled his name were the only noises in the otherwise silent apartment. Daryl knew exactly how close to orgasm his wife was and he also knew exactly how to deny her the release her body desperately wanted.

His tongue was intermittently playing over her clit with soft, barely there licks as his thick fingers were slipping in and out of her wet pussy at a teasingly slow pace. Daryl's other hand was wrapped behind Beth's thigh, massaging lube into his wife's tight hole as he pushed in one finger, then another, stretching and relaxing her body before inserting a string of neon pink anal beads. Beth almost instantly spiralled into orgasm. The extra pressure in her center as her ass molded around the large spheres was glorious. The sensation as his thick fingers wriggled against them from inside her pussy was divine. Daryl then stilled inside her for a moment to watch his wife teetering on the edge of climax once more, he wanted to keep her there until she acknowledged he was in control of her pleasure. Then he'd give her the release her body was begging for. After making her ache in frustration and beg for just a little while longer. It was all just part of the game they sometimes liked to play.

"Aaaahhhh…that feels so good...aaaahhhh...do…don't stop, oh God I'm gonna come. Please Daryl… oh God, please let me." Beth was hardly able to speak for fear the slightest vibration in her pelvis might send her over the edge.

Her hands were bound together tightly at the wrist with thick black satin and lace cuffs. Even though Daryl had instructed her not to move them from above her head, they'd somehow managed to twist themselves roughly into Daryl's hair, tugging madly at it as his expert tongue followed every slippery curve of her sex until she could no longer breathe.

Her head was thrown back against the wall in ecstasy and her eyes were squeezed shut as she thought her legs might actually buckle from the swell that was threatening to erupt inside her. She was so close, she had been for an age. Her husband knew exactly how to leave her so close to orgasm it actually hurt. A painful, frustrating but exquisite kind of hurt that only Daryl had the power to relieve.

Beth's whole body was flushed pink, aflame with a burning sensation, a familiar throb radiating out from her center. She knew though, if he brushed his tongue over her clit again, she would climax, she wouldn't be able to stop herself. Just as she moved her hips forward to urge him to do the one thing that always took her over the edge; sucking her clit whilst ripping the beads from her ass….he stopped.

She knew why. She'd disobeyed him. Her hands had moved from their place against the wall above her head and found their way into his hair. When she was restrained she wasn't allowed to touch him, she wasn't allowed to move and she wasn't allowed to come. If she disobeyed him he would punish her. Those were the rules when Daryl was in charge. Beth knew she'd moved her hands purposefully. She wanted to be punished. She wanted the feeling of being totally at the mercy of Daryl and whatever delicious things he chose to do to her.

Daryl quickly withdrew his fingers from the tight warmth of Beth's pussy and pulled back to look at her, her whole torso now heaving in and out as she gasped to catch her breath "Elizabeth…baby, look at me…" Daryl spoke lovingly to his wife, even though he knew he'd been tormenting her in the worst possible way. Denying her what she needed.

Beth's eyes became wide at the sudden feeling of emptiness as his fingers left her body. She was trembling now as she groaned out in frustration, dropping her head forward and looking down at him as she bit down hard on her lower lip. He was wearing the biggest smirk she'd ever seen and his eyes were on fire with desire for her. She knew exactly what her husband needed. It was what he always needed when the abused, damaged and unsure little boy he used to be rose to the surface: reassurance that he still had her unconditional love and acceptance. He needed his wife to tell him how much she loved and wanted him. He needed the comfort of knowing that he could do whatever he wanted to his beautiful Beth because she was his, utterly and completely his. And he needed to be in control, to feel the power that dominating and pleasuring Beth's perfect small body gave him.

This didn't happen often though. Daryl was usually content to hold his wife in his arms and make love to her. To enjoy being gentle, loving and soft. Revelling in going slowly and exploring her. But now and then he needed it to be rough. He needed to say filthy things to her as she groaned his name. He needed to tie her up, hold her down, spank her, control her, pleasure her, fuck her and then watch her come when he decided she could. This wasn't about kissing, touching, or affection. This was about trust and intimacy between two lovers, more than that it was about finding a way to fill the void he'd had in him since the first time his father had beaten him. A feeling of being useless and weak and small and utterly powerless. A feeling that disappeared for the briefest of moments when she let him be the exact opposite of all of those things, and he loved her even more than he thought possible for allowing him to do it.

Neither Beth nor Daryl had any idea what she'd unleashed that first time she'd suggested he use the hotel curtain tie backs to restrain her. The feeling of euphoria that had rushed through every fiber of his being as he tied his wife to the bed, held her down and roughly fucked her had confused him. He could never ever damage his beautiful Beth, but he'd been aroused more than he thought possible at the way she'd submitted to him, the way she'd let him take what he wanted. The way she'd enjoyed it and encouraged him, the way she'd done exactly as he asked because she trusted him completely.

"Ya know ya shouldn't a touched me don't ya Elizabeth? Yer been a very bad girl, disobeying ma rules. And I am gonna punish ya later for that… but first I want ya ta beg. Beg me ta let ya come." Daryl continued on, Beth panting as she nodded her head, both of them already wrapped up in their familiar little game. His large warm hand crept up the back of her thigh to squeeze her firm ass cheek as he pulled her closer, kissing and biting along the inside of her thighs as his eyes continued to hold hers.

"Tell me what ya want...Tell me what ya want me ta do… say it." Daryl's voice was slow and husky and filled with promise. Another gush of sticky wetness coated Daryl's hand as Beth became more turned on than she thought possible. She could even feel the vibrations shuddering through her sensitised body as his mouth caught the tingling flesh of her legs as he spoke. The insides of her thighs were now slick with moisture, a mixture of her own arousal, saliva and lubricant. Her pussy was aching in anticipation, her ass clenching hard around the rigid silicon beads planted there.

"I want you Daryl…I love you… and I want you to fuck me with yer tongue and yer fingers 'til I come. Please…Daryl, let me come for you." Beth whimpered the plea he was waiting to hear. Words that made his cock even harder and his balls ache with a hunger to please her.

Beth's arms were back in place above her head now, pressing into the wall as it took all her willpower to stop herself from grabbing her husband's head and grinding her pussy into his face until she exploded around him.

Daryl's eyes held her gaze as his mouth moved back between her legs. His tongue slowly curling out to drag a flat, long, soft lick along the inside of her thigh, cleaning up the sticky mess that had now begun to trickle further down her legs. The tip of his tongue then trailing along the length of her pussy, deliberately missing her clit. He made sure Beth had a perfect view of him licking his lips clean in appreciation of her sweet taste. His tongue then swirling back to circle around her entrance, lapping up everything she had, before dipping inside for more.

"Oh God… that feels so good…oh fuck me… please don't stop again…please let me come." Beth could hardly pant the words out as she tried to focus on not coming until he said she could, not moving and not touching him. Her back arched away from the wall and her head fell backwards as she moaned out his name and closed her eyes. She couldn't watch him a moment longer, not if she didn't want to break the rules. The feeling of his soft tongue lapping, kissing and sucking the heated sensitive skin of her pussy had her insides clenching and throbbing once again.

His tongue moved in and out a few times, twisting and wiggling as she clenched tightly around him. His tongue then disappearing as he slowly pushed two fingers into her, pressing them backwards and into the thin wall of skin that was now the only barrier between his fingers and the beads inside her ass. He began to rub them up and down, hard and fast, following the outline of the spheres until Beth was whimpering and shaking.

"Ya like that, huh? Ya wanna come? All ya gotta do is ask me… look at me Elizabeth and tell me what ya want…I only wanna please ya baby."

Beth pulled her head forward to find Daryl staring at her, a smirk fixed to his lips as his eyes told her exactly how much he was enjoying watching her suffer.

"Aaaaarrrhhhh…yes, yes, yes…I like it… Daryl it hurts… please. Make me come. I want you to suck my clit and fuck me with yer fingers." Daryl moved his mouth back to her inner thigh, kissing gently a few times.

Then he did what she asked, he clamped his lips around her clit, gently teasing and suckling as his fingers continued to pump in and out of her tight hot little body, rubbing over the contours of the beads before finally pressing hard into that place deep inside her he knew would take her to climax.

"I wanna feel it…I wanna hear ya scream, I wanna see yer beautiful face… come for me baby… I want ya ta come for me."

That was all she needed to send her free falling. Beth groaned out loudly, calling his name, over and over, as the most intense orgasm she'd ever had, ripped through her body showing no mercy. That last perfectly placed touch along with his words had finally given her the permission she'd been waiting for to explode. Her pussy started to contract rapidly and forcefully around his fingers as her body jolted uncontrollably, the spasms of her climax tearing through her tiny frame.

While she was still convulsing hard around his fingers he pulled sharply on the beads, ripping them quickly from the confines of her tight but well lubricated ass. It left her empty and throbbing but renewed the intensity of the orgasm that was still coursing through her center. The delicious sensation of her thin, delicate, sensitive anal tissue stretching and burning sent her spiralling from one orgasm to the next as she mumbled nonsense into thin air.

Daryl stood up, dropped the beads to the floor and wrapped his strong arms around his wife, pulling her into his chest and holding her tight. He knew she needed holding, he'd learnt Beth couldn't orgasm stood up without collapsing afterwards. His body kept her steady as it absorbed the vibrations of her shaking and panting. His mind racing with thoughts of what he was going to do next to the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen; his best friend and his wife.

"Oh God… that… that was... amazin'…I love you Daryl Dixon…I love you so much." Beth gave a satisfied sigh as her body's heightened state began to return to normal. Her heartbeat though was now banging into his with force as she thought about what was next. She desperately wanted to touch him, she wanted to do for him what he'd just done for her, but she knew he wouldn't let her. She still hadn't been given permission to touch him or to move.

Since that first time he'd taken charge, held her down firmly but lovingly in the bathtub after their wedding, Beth hadn't been able to get enough of it. She didn't know why it turned her on so much. Maybe it was because she could see how much confidence it gave him. But to be tied up and not be able to touch her beautiful husband was torture to her soul. It was eased slightly by the knowledge she was giving him what he needed to feel complete, something no one else ever had.

Daryl was now nuzzling his face into the blonde hair at her neck, inhaling her scent as his hands roamed along the smooth soft skin of her back. He grabbed her ass, lifting her thigh over his waist and began to move her hips to grind against his erection. She let out an involuntary groan at the feel of his huge hard cock pressed into her burning flesh. Something inside her slipped, she knew she shouldn't have done it but she couldn't stop herself; she lowered her bound hands and hooked them over his head, resting her forearms on his shoulders and pressing her face into his warm broad shoulder as she gyrated her hips around his hardness.

They stood like that for a brief moment, their bodies completely pressed into each other, just holding. Beth coming down from her high as her fast warm breath skimmed Daryl's neck. She wanted to kiss him, to touch his warm beautiful skin, she needed to feel him moving inside her.

"Arms Elizabeth. Against the wall, now. I didn't say ya could touch me."

Beth moved her now aching arms back above her head and against the wall. She pushed herself onto tip toe and whispered to him submissively, hoping he'd forgive her.

"I want you to do things to me, anythin' you want…dirty things only my beautiful husband gets ta do…. I'm so wet for you baby… take me… use me."

"Ya want more…huh? Yer ready for yer punishment…? Ya touched me twice Elizabeth and ya know the rules. I will restrain ya." Daryl was smirking, still lost in the game, as he kissed roughly along Beth's neck, biting and nipping hard enough to leave a lasting reminder. His hands were now clamped around Beth's tender breasts, pulling and squeezing until she whimpered in pained pleasure. He wasn't sure how he ever managed to not just grab her and fuck her senseless when she begged him to use her. During the last two years he'd learned to control himself, as well as Beth. Their games had become a routine and he'd taught himself to hold back, he'd grown to be able to last for an age if he wanted. Concentrating solely on Beth, taking her to the brink and then stopping kept his mind occupied and kept his body in check.

"Uh huh…I always want more… I want my punishment for touchin' ya. I've been a bad girl." Beth was panting, her heart banging and her mind racing.

"I think ya need to be taught a lesson Elizabeth Dixon… ya need to learn to keep yer hands ta yerself and ta do as yer told."

Daryl stepped back and fumbled around in the nightstand, pulling out a black silk blindfold and silk scarf. He spun Beth around to face the wall and tied the blindfold at the back of her head. He lifted her up, almost launching her onto their bed so she was knelt facing the headboard. He grabbed the cuffs holding her wrists together and threaded the silk scarf through them before pulling her arms up to the headboard and tying the scarf to the middle of the metal rail.

Daryl was now on his knees behind Beth, his hands curled around her waist, roughly moving upwards, over her breasts, squeezing and kneading again, pinching and tugging her nipples until she moaned out loud for him to stop. His mouth placed a fervent trail of heated kisses and bites over her shoulder, over her neck and behind her ear as Beth stayed perfectly still, her insides groaning as her whole body began to burn with desire.

Daryl always took every opportunity to mark Beth as his when they were playing one of their games and she often had the reminders for weeks after, feint bruises on her ass and thighs from spanking and on her neck and breasts from overzealous biting and sucking. She never minded though, they reminded her what pleasure her husband gave her and how much he loved her.

"Don't move and don't make a sound, that's an order Elizabeth. I'm gonna spank yer pert lil' ass 'til ya say yer sorry. 'til ya promise not ta touch me again 'til I say ya can. And ya ain't allowed to come before I say ya can either… understand?" Daryl's breath felt cool as it skimmed over the warm sweaty flesh of Beth's throat, immediately sending a chill along her spine and a renewed wetness between her legs.

Beth didn't quite understand why he'd told her she couldn't come. Although she found being spanked highly erotic and arousing, she'd never actually come from just being spanked before. She nodded as though she understood, her eyes tightly closed under the blindfold. Nervousness took over as her stomach twisted in anticipation of the first slap making contact with her skin. She waited, but nothing. Beth could hear footsteps as he moved around the bedroom, drawers opening and closing, then she felt the mattress move, but still nothing happened. She opened her mouth to speak but remembered he'd told her to be quiet, so closed it again.

Daryl was knelt behind her… waiting. He was holding a black leather riding crop with the most gorgeous diamante studded handle. It always made him shake his head and smile, how Beth had demanded that one because it was pretty and sparkly and if he wanted to spank her with one, it was that or nothing. As if it mattered what the thing looked like… but that was just his Beth. Always wanting the pretty sparkly beautiful things.

Daryl wasn't touching her but he was close enough that she could hear him breathing. Hear his heavy desire filled breath as her own breath increased in speed and depth. Her body tensing at the knowledge that at any second some part of her tender flesh was going to connect with hard leather.

Her husband had fetched an assortment of toys and placed them at the end of the bed, he knew that making her wait would only heighten the feeling of being totally at his mercy. He knew she'd be expecting to be spanked straight away so he was going to mix things up a bit. After what seemed like forever he leant forward, gently blowing warm breath across her ear. He scooped her hair over her left shoulder before placing feather light kisses along her spine and over her shoulder, his tongue teasingly brushing around the nape of her neck and behind her ear. Beth's body went limp at the delicious feeling of his lips moving across her skin. It hadn't been what she was expecting at all and the surprise had her moaning in ecstasy.

He pulled back, quickly replacing his mouth with the tip of the soft leather riding crop, holding it against the skin of her shoulder, immediately evoking an unsure and pitiful moan from Beth as he then dragged it slowly and softly across her back and shoulders in a figure of eight.

It felt cool and smooth on her heated skin, sending a thrill across her flesh and goose bumps over her body. Then she felt the bed move, her weight shifting as Daryl moved backwards. Her body stiffened again as she heard the whoosh of air as the crop was pulled back and brought down over the backs of her thighs. The sting from the soft cool thin strip of leather was exquisite. Beth didn't make a sound, she bit down hard on her lip and sucked in a deep breath but she didn't give anything away.

"Good girl Elizabeth. Yer learnin'…. Now I'm gonna do it again."

Daryl pulled the crop back and released it against her legs again, slightly lower this time so as not to slap the same place twice. Beth still didn't move or make a sound. It was a strange sensation, briefly stinging but not enough to hurt exactly. It was the surprise of not knowing when or what was going to happen that made the whole thing sexy. Beth knew Daryl would never hurt her and he never hit her with force either. It was the idea of him controlling her, coupled with the fact he loved to see her pure alabaster skin pink up. Because she allowed him to punish her. It was never about pain, just about the pleasure he got from watching Beth do as he commanded.

The sting didn't last long, it quickly turned to a lovely glow that spread across the surface of her skin like the rising sun, slow, warm and delicious, making her stomach flip and her pussy even wetter.

"Ya can speak now baby… tell me what ya want. Tell me yer sorry for bein' disobedient."

Beth was about to speak when another unexpected lash of the crop landed straight across both her ass cheeks, momentarily taking her breath away. This time she couldn't help but groan out loudly and grip onto the headboard to steady herself.

"Ya like that huh? Ya want me ta spank yer ass some more?" Whilst he was talking, Daryl was teasingly trailing the crop along her spine and down between her pert and now slightly pink ass, gently flicking the tip against her skin. He watched as goose bumps erupted over Beth's beautiful white skin again.

"Spank me again Daryl, harder. I'm not sorry I touched you…I wanna touch you again… do it now. Spank me." Beth wanted him to know she wanted to play this game as much as he did. That she enjoyed it as much as he did.

Daryl let the crop kiss the delicate skin of Beth's ass three more times in quick succession, not giving her chance to make a sound. Her skin was burning now, she felt like she was on fire. But she somehow didn't want him to stop. She wanted him to do it again and again and then fuck her until she came.

"That ain't what yer supposed to say is it Elizabeth? Yer such a bad, bad girl… Now what da ya really want ta tell me?" Daryl was determined to hear her say she was sorry for disobeying him.

Beth's ass was now covered in lines, a patchwork of beautiful pale pink sexy spank marks. Daryl couldn't help but bring the crop down on Beth's ass twice more. This time he did use more force, Beth actually letting out a small yelp, like a wounded animal.

"I'm sorry. Sorry for disobeyin' you. I need to learn my lesson….I'm sorry for touchin' you and movin' before you said I could." Beth suddenly needed to apologise, she wasn't sure if it was because she didn't want to spanked anymore or if she just wanted him to fuck her.

"Good girl Elizabeth, now ya can have yer reward… as long as ya do as I say."

Daryl dropped the riding crop and moved towards Beth, he pressed himself hard into her soft small body and grabbed a handful of her long golden hair, tugging her head backwards so quickly that Beth couldn't help but gasp to catch her breath. Daryl moved his mouth to her ear and took her earlobe between his teeth, pulling hard. His free hand moving up and over her breast, crushing it roughly as he squeezed. Then he pinched and rolled his wife's already hard and sensitive nipple between his thumb and forefinger, until she whimpered in pain. Then his hand moved lower, onto her now pink striped bottom as he gently stroked it, massaging his palm across the marks in an effort to soothe them before moving his hand back and slapping it back down.

"Tell me what ya want… what ya want me ta do." Daryl was still tugging on her earlobe as he growled commands into her ear.

Beth tried her hardest not to grind her ass over the erection that was pressed hard into her from behind as she thought about all the things she wanted.

"Fuck me… please fuck me and make me come Daryl." Beth was now panting and finding it harder to stop herself from moving. She wanted to touch him, she wanted to feel him.

Beth felt the bed move again and then his hands on hers, fiddling with the handcuffs. He released her right hand but left the other tethered to the headboard. She felt him move back round to behind her, his hand still holding her tiny one as he laced his fingers over the top of hers. His mouth next to her throat as his chin rested on her shoulder.

"I wanna watch… I want ya ta touch yerself baby… do it for me." his voice was quiet but filled with a primal need to see his wife pleasure herself. He'd never asked her to masturbate for him before but the thought of her doing exactly what he told her to was beyond a turn on. He knew he'd end up joining in and fucking her, he wouldn't be able to stop himself, but he just wanted to watch for a while. Watch as Beth's tiny fingers played over her pussy and the wetness he'd made.

"Daryl!.. No! You do it for me… please Daryl." Beth was shocked at the suggestion, but by the time she'd protested, the thought of him getting off as he watched her play with herself made her feel quite giddy.

"It's an order Elizabeth…I ain't askin'… unless ya want me ta spank ya 'til ya can't sit down, that what ya want, huh?" Daryl slid their linked hands across the smooth skin of Beth's stomach, downwards until her fingers were combing through the soft curls at the apex of her thighs. He carried on moving them downwards following the curve of her lips, pushing her small fingers into the wetness there. Beth couldn't help but groan out at the feeling of fingers, even her own, touching the heat and wet of her aching pussy. Daryl moved her hand back and forth a few times in encouragement before letting go and pulling his hand away.

"I wanna watch… watch as yer fingers fuck yer tight wet pussy, I wanna see ya rub yer clit 'til yer almost there. Then I'm gonna spank yer ass, I'm gonna fuck ya and then... only then, I'm gonna let ya come."

Beth suddenly realised why he'd told her she wasn't allowed to come. He was going to make her stop herself, see how she could control her own body. She was sure she wouldn't be able to stop. The thought was already making her quiver inside.

Beth started to move her hand on her own, covering her fingers in her arousal before slowly circling her clit. She started to moan as a throb began to build inside her, her rubbing becoming faster and harder. Not being able to see him made it even more erotic. She knew he was watching, he'd turned her around so she was still knelt but facing into the bedroom not towards the headboard. She felt the mattress move as he stood up and could hear his heavy breath interspersed with low stifled groans that she was sure he hadn't meant to let out. It made her pussy clench at the thought he was enjoying the show. She carried on rubbing and groaning, her fingers sliding either side of her clit, slipping along her soaking folds.

Daryl cold hardly hold back from touching her, from trailing his fingers over her beautiful smooth skin, from kissing her perfect mouth. In an effort to stop himself and let her proceed with the hottest damn thing he'd ever seen, he wrapped his hand around his hardened cock and started to stroke up and down a few times, more in distraction than for release.

Beth leant back, lowering her ass onto her heels and opening her knees further, giving Daryl a full view of her pussy as she pushed two fingers deep inside herself, slowly sliding them in and out. She let out a dirty moan as if she was in the actual throes of being fucked. Daryl let go of his cock, growling out as he jumped back onto the bed next to Beth. He'd changed his mind, he wanted to see her come, he wanted to watch as she got herself off while he spanked her ass.

"Keep goin'…I wanna see ya finish. Then I'm gonna fuck that sweet tight pussy 'til ya come again." Daryl moved her back into the position she'd been in before as she continued to pant and groan and mutter how much she wanted him to fuck her.

Daryl picked up the black suede flogger and before Beth realised what was happening, he'd slapped the tresses across her pink ass. Beth groaned out at the shock as much as the stinging thrill that came from the contact of the tiny textured little strands on her already tender skin. The deep throbbing that was radiating from her center was reaching a crescendo as she continued to rub frantically over her clit, her fingers slipping and sliding in and out of her entrance. The flogger came down again and again, hard then soft then hard, the tresses igniting her as much on the inside as they were her skin on the outside.

"Oh God I'm gonna come Daryl." Beth couldn't hold back the tidal wave of pleasure that was engulfing every fiber of her body any longer. She let climax claim her once more, euphoria racing around her body quicker than the blood in her veins.

Daryl pulled Beth round to face him and wrapped his arm around the woman he loved more than life itself. He raised her right hand up to his mouth and sucked clean her fingers one by one, licking every drop of her sweet nectar from them.

"You taste so fuckin' good Elizabeth….Tell me how much ya want me ta fuck ya baby. Tell me ya want it." He stretched over to the headboard and untied her other hand before pulling the blindfold off and throwing it to the floor. He pulled Beth into him, gently stroking and caressing her now bright red ass cheeks as his mouth found hers. His kiss was rough and passionate, his tongue probing and lashing against hers in between her gasps for breath as she tried to recover from the climax still racking her body.

"I love you Daryl. I wanna feel you inside me. I want you ta come inside me… please… hold me down and fuck me Daryl... own me." Beth mewled the words she knew he needed to hear.

Daryl pushed his wife backwards onto the pillows, falling onto her quivering body and nestling himself between her legs as he grabbed both her wrists and held them in one hand above her head.

"No touchin' remember. I think ya need restrainin' 'cause yer such a bad bad girl and ya never obey me." Daryl smirked at her beautiful flushed face and then kissed her. Gentler than before, and she kissed him back with all the fervor she could find, becoming lost in her husband once more.

"I love you Daryl. Always." Beth wanted to touch him so badly but knew she couldn't. Instead she started to grind her pussy over his erection, slicking him with her arousal, urging him to go on.

Daryl reached down with his free hand and lined his cock up with her wet and now very tender entrance. He let go of Beth's wrists so he could take one in each of his hands, threading his fingers lovingly through hers and holding them gently each side of her head.

"Punish me then…I've been so bad." Beth couldn't help but let out a giggle which Daryl caught as his mouth smashed into hers, his hips thrusting forward, pushing all the way inside his wife until he could go no further. Beth groaned as much as Daryl's mouth would allow, as he pulled back before filling her again.

Daryl carried on moving this way for an age. Slipping and sliding in and out of his wife's warmth. He wasn't fucking her, he was making love to her and he didn't care. She'd submitted to him, she'd given him everything he'd asked for and now he was losing himself in her. It was still fast and frantic, it made her scream and groan his name but it was emotional and it was full of love.

Beth finally climaxed one last time as he moved his body further over hers, pushing into the place he knew would always take her over the edge. She came hard around him, chanting his name and Daryl not even caring he hadn't given her permission. He may not have said it, but his body had told her it was okay to find release. His body had taken her there willingly.

Daryl continued to pound into her, letting go of her hand to hoist her leg around his waist, tilting her ass for more friction and depth. Moments later he was free falling. He was coming inside the woman he worshipped, as blackness flooded over him. A blinding white light fired off behind his eyes. It was a vision but not of Beth, it was the baby girl that looked just like himself and Beth. Golden hair and bright blue eyes. This time it was as vivid as if she was in the bedroom with them, and she was talking. Daryl couldn't understand what she was saying but it looked important. He tried to work it out, he thought he heard the words 'babies' and 'faith' and 'brother' but he really couldn't be sure. She really wanted him to understand though, she held out her hand and beckoned for him to follow. She was still talking but he couldn't make it out, it was fuzzy and broken, like a badly tuned TV station, crackling and buzzing. Then she started to giggle, she grabbed his hand with her tiny one and turned around, trying to drag him with her….

"Daryl… Daryl… baby! Wake up. Are you okay?… Daryl!" Beth was panicking, cradling his face in her hands, even though he'd collapsed with his full weight on her chest and she couldn't move or breathe properly. He slowly started to come around and open his eyes as Beth kissed madly all around his face in relief.

"Oh God Daryl, ya just scared the life outta me. What happened? Are ya okay?"

Daryl rolled off his wife and sat up, slightly dazed and confused "Uh...yeah. Think so." Daryl regained his vision and realized he'd fallen onto the panting woman next to him. "Oh my God, did I hurt ya Beth?…. I'm sorry… I dunno what happened."

"I think I do Daryl…You just can't handle yer hot wife." Beth burst out laughing as relief took hold, and ran her fingers up and down Daryl's spine.

Daryl looked down at her from under his messy hair and grinned at her "Yeah, that's gotta be it." he pulled Beth up from the bed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her backwards between his legs and into his chest. He nuzzled his mouth into the soft golden hair at her neck "That's exactly it Mrs Dixon. Yer way too hot for me ta handle." Daryl closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling the sweet smell of his perfect wife. "Uhm…anyway, about bein' too hot…Has yer pretty 'lil ass stopped stingin' yet? I can always rub some cream in for ya?" Daryl laughed and kissed her shoulder. Beth playfully swiping at him as she smiled to herself. His mind started to wander back to the vision, the dream, or whatever the hell it was. He had no idea why he kept seeing this little girl or why the visions seemed to cause him to black out these days either. Maybe it _was_ his wife after all, he was pretty sure she was too hot for him to handle. Everything about her blew his mind..… literally.


	12. Chapter 12: Additions

**A/N. Hey, apologies we didn't post last Friday, we thought maybe people would be preoccupied with Holiday and New Years preparations so decided to miss posting... anyway on that note... we wish a Happy 2015 to all our readers and followers. May it be prosperous, healthy and happy and full of delicious Bethyl goodness. **

**Just a quick response in answer to one review on the last chapter that said it moved too quickly and didn't flow and they couldn't see Beth being into that kind of sex. Thank you for your comment and we'll try to answer as best we can...We put dates on each chapter to show the passing years and time jumps from when they met as children up to present times... from these you could see that eighteen months had passed between them getting married and the following chapter. Chapter eleven was added to show the progression of their sex lives, especially Daryl's sexual arc and how being with Beth had allowed him to have what he'd needed for so long, an element of control, which subsequently changed him from the small shy boy he was, into the confident young man he is now. We tried to show how Beth wasn't just participating under duress to please him, but that she actually enjoyed it just as much as he did. It wasn't put in totally gratuitously... although it's true we never knock back an opportunity to write smut! I know most of our avid followers understood this and we'd like to thank you all again for just the loveliest and kindest reviews each and every week. **

**This chapter is not quite so much with the smut, but we hope you still enjoy it. We think it's still gooey Bethyl!**

**Anyhow, if you do like what you read, please review... and we do appreciate ALL reviews; ones that raise questions or point out things that maybe seem wrong, ones that tell us it made you happy...or sad, and ones that just say you enjoyed it so much you want more! **

**Love Lola and E xx**

**The Hunger**

**Chapter Twelve – Additions**

**Tuesday, December 14th 2004. Savannah, GA**

Beth was crumpled into a heap on the bathroom floor, curled around the toilet. She thought she couldn't possibly have anything left in her stomach to throw up, not after what was staring back at her from the toilet bowl. Maybe she would be safe to stand up now. As soon as she stood on her shaky legs though, her mouth began watering and another stomach churning retch forced burning bile into her mouth and out into the toilet.

"Beth, are ya okay?" Daryl was knocking lightly on the bathroom door, listening to the strange noises coming from his wife.

"Uhuh…I'm fine. Ya can go to work Daryl, don't worry about me. I'll be fine for my shift later. I think it's just another bug." Beth sounded breathless and annoyed. Not at Daryl. At herself for being sick again. She'd barely recovered from the bout of sickness she'd had last week. On top of that she was late, three weeks late, which she'd been ignoring, hoping the problem would disappear if she didn't think on it.

"Beth, I ain't lettin' ya go ta work… Beth open the damn door." Daryl was banging harder now.

Beth got up off the floor, stumbled towards the door and slid the bolt across. Daryl pushed the door open, wrapping his arms around Beth's waist as he slid past the door and into the room.

"Daryl I've gotta go to work, we need the money and I can't leave 'em short staffed without any notice. I'll be fine by this evenin', don't worry." Beth pulled her arms tightly around Daryl's waist and leaned her head into his chest. It always gave her a warm feeling inside, just to be held tightly in Daryl's strong arms, instantly making her feel better.

"Ya ain't goin' Beth. Yer been sick on and off for days. Work and college is too much for ya. Ya need some time off to get yerself better." Daryl held Beth tight as he gently ran his hand through her soft hair, rubbing up and down her back "We're stayin' with yer folks for Christmas. I sorted it with them last week after ya was sick. Ya need someone ta take care a ya, and if ya won't let me do it, it'll have ta be yer mom… maybe she can talk some sense into ya to." Daryl wasn't taking no for an answer. Beth didn't try to argue with him. She did need to recover, whatever this bug was, she just couldn't shake it. Anyway she was looking forward to seeing everyone again, it'd been months now since she'd been home or seen any of her family. And she always loved Christmases at the farm.

"What about work though Daryl? I can't just leave them over the Christmas break."

"All sorted, I spoke with yer boss and he said it's fine if ya take the two weeks off. Yunno, I think he's got a bit of a crush on ya. He went all flustered and red when he started talkin' 'bout ya and he sort of looked at me funny… like he was wondering how ya ended up with a redneck like me for a husband." Daryl snorted at the memory. He wasn't surprised though, he was pretty sure most people that saw them together thought the same thing. He'd thought it himself too, until he'd finally realised that Beth loved him as much as he loved her.

"So no arguments Mrs. Dixon. We're goin' home for Christmas and yer gonna be taken care of." Daryl walked Beth over to the sink and ran her a glass of water so she could rinse her mouth out.

"Will ya make me some breakfast baby?" Beth stared into the mirror over the sink, catching Daryl's gaze before sticking her lower lip out in a fake 'I feel sick and helpless' look as she batted her eyelashes, before giggling. Daryl immediately responded with an animalistic growl.

"Fuck, if ya weren't so sick I'd rip yer pants off and do ya right here woman. Ya look so damn sexy when ya do that." Daryl grinned back at her in the mirror and curled his arms tightly around her waist, nuzzling her neck and mouthing the words 'I love You' as he glanced at the mirror.

"I'll have toast please… better make it dry though." Beth just ignored his comment about sex and smiled sweetly before turning around and kissing her husband, over and over until she could feel the bulge in his pants pressing into her. She found it hot beyond words that he wasn't shy and embarrassed about his body anymore and that he loved to let her know exactly how she made him feel. Then Beth teasingly pulled away and left the bathroom, leaving Daryl groaning in frustration and thinking of new ways he could get his own back next time he was 'in charge'.

**Friday, December 17th 2004. Savannah, GA**

"Ya ready ta leave yet Beth? At this rate it'll be midnight 'fore we get there." Daryl was stood at the apartment door with two suitcases ready to leave, however Beth, for the last thirty minutes had had other ideas. She'd been running around the apartment like it was the last time she was ever going to see the place.

"Yep… finally ready baby. Move. Come on we can go now." Beth was now bizarrely ushering Daryl out of the door and down the stairs even though he could easily have left half an hour ago.

"Geez Beth, what the hell is in this case anyway? I'm pretty sure ya don't need ta take our kitchen sink, I definitely know yer momma's got one of her own." Daryl started to laugh but Beth just playfully slapped him across the ass.

"Very funny Daryl. Don't give up the day job though…. It's full of presents, silly… including yours so please be careful." Beth rolled her eyes at Daryl and carried on walking past him towards the car, turning back to look at him with the biggest smile on her face.

"Just get in the car Beth before I put ya across ma knee and spank the livin' daylights outta ya." Daryl grabbed Beth around the waist and pulled her in for a kiss first. He couldn't help himself. She was just heaven, his heaven. He'd never been so happy. He had everything he'd ever wanted and he was just about to spend his first proper Christmas with _all _his family. He sometimes thought he had died and gone to heaven, although he thought even that wouldn't compare to how happy he was now.

"Yunno we can't do that for a while don't ya? Ya gotta behave Mr. Dixon… no spankin', no talkin' dirty to me and no sex for two whole weeks." Beth was deadly serious for a few minutes but the look on Daryl's face was priceless, she couldn't hold back from laughing. He actually thought she meant it "Daryl I'm jokin' baby. Ya think I can go two weeks without ya touchin' me? You'll just have ta keep me quiet is all." Beth giggled and got into the passenger seat.

"Oh, a challenge huh Mrs. Dixon?…. Ya do know yer so gonna regret that don't ya?" Daryl just smirked a wicked smirk and got into the car.

Over the years he'd grabbed moments of Christmas at the Greene house but he'd never once woken up on a Christmas morning in a happy home filled with people that loved him, the smell of cooking filling the air, laughter and talking and presents that consisted of something other than a beating. Last Christmas it was just Beth and him, they'd remained at the apartment even though they were the only ones to stay behind, all the other students had cleared out to go back home. They wanted their first Christmas as husband and wife to be just them. It was the best Christmas he'd ever had, and despite Beth thinking it was only because they spent the whole day in bed making love, eating crap, watching crap on the television and sleeping. It wasn't. It was because this time there had been no fear, no pain and no sadness. Just his Beth and a warm happy feeling.

They finally arrived at the farm around 11.30pm. It'd taken longer than usual due to the fact they'd stopped en-route for food, knowing it'd be too late to eat when they got home, plus Beth had made Daryl pull over so she could be sick again. She tried to tell him it was just the food coupled with travel sickness but Daryl wasn't convinced. He knew his wife, and he knew when there was something wrong and when she was worried. He kicked himself for not physically forcing her to see the doctor the previous week, he knew there was something wrong and couldn't help but feel sick at the thought it might be serious. He tried to not think about it, hoping her mom would sort her out.

They let themselves in to the farm house, to find Hershel and Annette sat next to each other on the couch, watching television, Annette curled comfortably into Hershel, but looking worried, distracted.

"Aarrrhh Beth! Come here and give yer momma a hug. I've missed ya baby girl." Annette was up off the couch and bounding over to the couple in seconds, throwing her arms around her youngest.

"Good ta see ya son, glad ta see ya got here okay too. Annette here was startin' to worry her pretty little head about ya both." Hershel was now off the couch and pulling Daryl towards him in a great big bear hug. The type of hug that made Daryl feel ten feet tall and as though he could conquer the world. The younger man wondered if he'd always get that feeling when Hershel embraced him, however many years passed.

"Yeah, well ya can blame Beth for how late we are… it was like we were leavin' ta go on a polar expedition instead a jus' seein' ya guys for a while… And then she needed food." Daryl could feel his wife's eyes burning into him. As he turned to look at her he could see she was willing him not to mention how sick she'd been lately. Daryl understood, although he wasn't planning on telling them anyway. Not tonight. He just looked back at her with concern and understanding. A look which Annette didn't fail to notice.

"Beth baby, ya know there's always a house full of food here just waitin' ta be eaten by one of the five kids we like ta affectionately call locusts, don't ya?" Annette laughed and moved from Beth to Daryl, almost squeezing him hard enough to stop him breathing, before planting a kiss on his cheek, causing Daryl to color up, just like always "How's ma favorite son then? I hope she's been feedin' ya enough, ya look kinda skinny." Annette just winked at him after finally releasing him from her embrace. It always made Daryl feel happy enough to burst when she called him son. No one else ever had, only his momma on occasion but that was just a faded memory now that she'd been gone so long.

"I'm good. Beth takes real good care a' me… but I won't deny I've been longin' ta taste yer cookin' again. Beth ain't real at home in the kitchen, are ya Beth?" Daryl took a sideways glance at his wife, expecting to be slapped but she didn't protest. She just looked tired and pale which made him feel even more concerned. It wasn't like Beth at all.

Beth gave her daddy a hug, really just wanting to go to bed. Annette looked her daughter up and down, then suddenly a strange and knowing look lit up the whole of her being as if she'd just received a message from above.

"Beth will ya come ta the kitchen a minute? There's something I want ta show ya. I'm sure there's things Daryl and yer daddy can catch up on while we're gone." Beth looked at her mother wondering what was so important it couldn't wait until the morning.

Beth followed Annette into the kitchen anyway. Annette closing the door and ushering Beth to a chair at the kitchen table "So then Beth when were ya plannin' on tellin' us?" her mother just stared at her daughter, her face blank, Beth not being able to garner anything at all as to what this conversation was about.

"Tell ya what mom? I thought ya wanted ta show me somethin'." Annette carried on looking at her, her eyes filled with love and affection.

Beth sighed, her momma was obviously talking about how sick she'd been feeling lately "I didn't wanna worry anyone. It's nothin' really. I think I've just been overdoin' it with work and college is all." Beth wondered how the hell her mother knew she'd been sick though. Daryl said he hadn't told them, he'd just asked if they could stay over at Christmas.

Annette cocked her head to the side and silently studied her daughter for a while longer. Watching her, reading her as Beth looked back at her inquisitively and slightly bemused through those huge innocent blue eyes of hers. Annette knew then that her daughter really didn't know what she meant.

"Beth baby ya really have no idea do ya?" Annette spoke quietly, Beth could tell now it was excitement her mother had been hiding.

"No idea about what momma? yer scarin' me now… What?" Beth all of a sudden looked anxious, concerned.

"Yer pregnant baby girl. It's written all over yer face. It's shinin' out of every pore like you've got a great big neon sign inside ya." Annette grabbed Beth's hand and held onto it as it lay on the kitchen table.

Beth just looked at her mother, blinking a few times as her heart began to race, knowing deep down what her mother was saying was true, but still trying to fight it. Words seemed to have escaped her. She was pregnant? No, she couldn't be… could she? She was on the pill, she hadn't forgotten to take any, had she? What was Daryl going to say? They hadn't even finished college. No she couldn't be pregnant, not yet.

"'course I'm not pregnant, I can't be, and will ya keep yer voice down please mom, I don't think Daryl needs ta hear yer random thoughts on why I've been sick."

"Ya and Daryl do have sex, right?" Beth just looked at her mother, her eyes becoming even larger and a flush creeping over her whole face, as a mix of embarrassment and shock washed over her "Well I take it from the silence that's a 'yes'. So yes you _can _be pregnant and yes you most definitely _are,_ baby girl." Annette cupped Beth's face, tucking a stray curl behind her daughter's ear as she gave her a huge smile.

"I'm takin' ya to the drugstore tomorrow ta get a test. No arguments. You'll see I'm right and then ya can tell the poor boy and put him out of his misery. I can see how worried he is about ya and he's only been here five minutes." Annette was talking to Beth as though she were ten years old again. And Beth knew that meant what her mom said was the law. They would be going to the drugstore, she would be taking the test, and she was pretty sure she would be telling Daryl he was going to be a dad.

"And Beth...I know Daryl is gonna be so happy." Annette squeezed her daughters hand once more as she whispered to her. The knot in Beth's stomach started to twist. She felt nauseous again, but this time for a whole host of new and scary reasons.

Annette got up, kissed Beth's cheek and went back to the living room, with a glow about her she didn't have before a few moments ago. Beth didn't speak. She sat in silence in the kitchen a while longer trying to process her mother's words. After she thought her head might explode, she made her way back to the others, said goodnight to her parents and dragged Daryl and the suitcases upstairs. She wanted to sleep, she wanted to think about something else other than going to the drugstore tomorrow.

"What did ya momma want then?" thankfully Daryl seemed blissfully unaware of the conversation that had passed between mother and daughter as he undressed and sorted through his case.

"Oh nothin' really. She… umm, she just wanted ta talk about presents. Yunno momma, can't ever wait for anythin'." Beth gave a chuckle as she continued undressing, but she truly hated lying to Daryl. It may have only been a small and irrelevant lie but she still hated it. They'd always been so open and truthful in their relationship, it made her feel terrible. But the alternative was to worry him about something that might or might not be true, and she was fretting enough for the two of them now anyhow.

"Oh, I'm nippin' to town with her too tomorrow, I won't be gone long. She just wants me ta look at a few things and help choose yer present." it was another lie. Beth was shocked at how easily they were falling from her lips. She desperately wanted to tell him the truth but at the same time she didn't want to upset him or get his hopes up with no good reason.

"Apparently yer sis and Glenn are arrivin' tomorra, so I can spend some time with the newlyweds. Catch up and ask 'em how the Rockies in November were!" Daryl chuckled to himself. Why Glenn wanted to go to snow covered mountains in November for his honeymoon was beyond him, but he supposed they probably didn't get out from the hotel much anyway. He knew if he'd taken Beth on a proper honeymoon they wouldn't have made it out the hotel bedroom for the entire two weeks, not even to eat, so they could've been anywhere in the world and it wouldn't have mattered.

"Daryl, don't wind Maggie up, yunno how touchy she is about not gettin' ta go to Hawaii… oh and momma's cookin' a big meal for everyone so we definitely won't be back real late baby." Beth swallowed hard, just saying the word 'baby' made her stomach churn.

Daryl walked around to Beth's side of the bed, where she was now sat in just a tiny black lace camisole and panties, brushing through her long hair as if in a daze. Daryl sat down and shuffled backwards until he was sat behind her, his chin on her shoulder.

"Are ya okay Beth? Ya don't seem happy. Have I done somethin' wrong? Beth… talk ta me. Please." Daryl was stroking his hand gently along her arm, trying to comfort the woman that was his world.

"I think ya should see the doctor, yer not well. It ain't right that ya feel sick and tired all the time, and ya look really pale too… paler than usual."

Beth turned her head to look at her husband, her eyes locking with his. She needed him to know it wasn't him. It wasn't his fault she felt sick and that her head was spinning with so much she just wished it would stop. She wanted him to make it stop for her.

"You ain't done nothin' wrong Daryl, ya never do anythin' wrong. I love you so much…. And I am gonna see the doctor tomorrow. Mom's gonna take me while we're out. Ya don't need ta worry. I'll be fine once I get ta rest for a while." Daryl carried on looking at her, but didn't seem convinced "And… well…maybe there is…somethin' ya can do right now… that would make me feel a whole lot better." Beth pressed her lips into his, letting out a gentle moan as she ran her fingers down his muscular chest. Daryl was taken aback by her sudden movement, and even though he knew she was tired, he couldn't refuse her. He'd never refuse her anything and he never needed asking twice, not when it involved making love to his wife.

Daryl's hands began to work their way around her tiny waist and under the waistband of her panties, his fingers pushing through her soft hair and finding her clit as his mouth carefully worked over hers until they were both breathless. He shuffled around on the bed, lifting Beth backwards until he was knelt in front of her.

"Ya sure ya wanna do this baby?" Beth just nodded frantically and pulled him closer, dragging her nails across his back "Wanna see if ya can keep quiet then Mrs Dixon?... But ya do know that I'm gonna make it really difficult don't ya?" his hand was now back inside her panties, his finger moving slowly back and forth, rubbing her in the spot that he knew could take her to climax in only a few short minutes. His mouth leaving warm wet open mouthed kisses along her jaw, her throat and any piece of soft, tender flesh he could get to. Beth groaned loudly, she was so tired but she wanted him more than ever, she wanted to empty her mind, let herself go and let him allow her to forget that tomorrow might change everything between them, forever.

She kissed him again, falling backwards onto the soft bed, pulling her husband with her. The kiss was desperate and needy, sloppy and full of tongue. She wasn't bothered by how much noise she was making or who might hear them as she let her husband undress her and she let him make slow, gentle love to her. She savored every single second of it, moaning and groaning until her mind was empty of everything except what the man on top of her was doing. She was lost in every kiss he placed on her burning flesh, every touch of his skin on hers and every single thrust into her he made. When it was over he collapsed beside her, wrapping his arms and legs around his wife and pulling her close. They fell into a deep blissful sleep that neither of them stirred from until the next morning.

**Saturday, December 18th 2004, Senoia, GA**

Beth and Annette returned from their trip to Atlanta with a secret. A secret that both of them knew they wouldn't be able to keep for long. Her mom had taken Beth to the drugstore and she had bought the pregnancy test. Then she'd sat on the toilet in the coffee shop bathrooms and had peed on the little white stick and waited. It wasn't the place she'd imagined finding out if her future was about to change irrecoverably but she also didn't relish the idea of doing it in secret back at the farm with Daryl oblivious in the next room. The wait holding that stick in her hand seemed to last hours. It was three minutes that stretched out before her like eternity. Every time she looked at the hands on her watch they seemed to be stagnant, stuck, as though if they didn't move then none of this was real.

When the time was finally up and Annette refused to loiter outside the cubicle any longer, Beth forced herself to look at the stick that she'd had turned upside down since the minute she'd peed on it. There it was. The thick blue line that screamed 'PREGNANT' at her. As if it was saying 'told you so'. She sat looking at it for a while. Her head was spinning, thoughts and images running wild, questions, worries and fears coursing through her so fast she couldn't breathe. But above all this there was something else too. Something stronger; an overriding feeling of pure euphoria, joy, excitement, happiness and relief. She felt a huge grin start to erupt over her face and tears start to well in her eyes. She knew everything was going to be okay. She had Daryl and now she had Daryl's baby. Nothing else mattered.

As overjoyed as she was with the news she was going to soon be a grannie, Annette needed to know everything was okay with her beloved daughter, so she'd taken her to see her Ob/Gyn and had the pregnancy confirmed and Beth checked over. He'd told Beth she was seven weeks pregnant and her due date was August 6th 2005. Apparently everything was fine except Beth was suffering from anaemia, which is why she felt so tired and looked so pale. He'd prescribed iron tablets plus folic acid which she needed to take until the first trimester was over. He said she'd feel a lot better and look a better color once she started on them. He told her it was usual to have the first scan at twelve weeks just to make sure everything was going as it should, but she should arrange that back in Savannah once she'd seen her own doctor. Beth left his office with an armful of leaflets, a belly full of baby and a head full of confusion. She was sure she wouldn't remember anything she'd just been told and felt quite light headed at the whole bizarre, unplanned but beautiful situation.

"Mom, don't say anythin' to anyone will ya? I want time to get used to it and I need to explain it to Daryl first. I know yer excited but please don't even tell daddy, not yet. If he finds out he won't be able to keep quiet…. Ya do remember the speech at our wedding don't ya?" Beth gave a slight chuckle at the memory of how embarrassing it had been, but then she remembered that wasn't how Daryl had felt at all. He'd seemed eager to start making babies even back then. Maybe he would be as happy as her mother seemed to think he would be.

Beth was sat next to her mother as the older blonde drove them home, she was flicking through the leaflets that had been staring at her from her purse, suddenly realising she needed to tell Daryl _today. _

"Beth I won't say a word. It's not my secret to tell baby girl." Annette glanced over and gave her daughter a smile filled with love and understanding.

The drive from Atlanta was over quickly, which Beth was glad about. She just wanted to see Daryl. She wanted to tell him she loved him and that he was going to be the best dad in the whole world. She couldn't bear the secrets and lies anymore. But she knew first she would have to brave Maggie and Glenn, she would have to hold back the emotional tide that was threatening to drown her until they'd played out the obligatory family reunion.

"Hey, sis, you look great. How were the Rockies then? Or maybe I should ask how well the ceiling in yer hotel room was decorated?" Beth giggled and curled her arms around her sister, who had been eagerly awaiting Beth and Annette's arrival as she'd sat on the porch with Glenn and Daryl, drinking hot chocolate to stave off the chill in the December air.

"Ha, very funny, lil' sis…No we had a really great time didn't we Glenn?" Maggie was now looking towards her new husband, who as always just nodded his response in agreement as he smiled over at the two sisters. Totally not brave enough to voice disagreement of any kind even if he had disagreed.

Beth and Annette walked up the steps and stood on the porch for a while as Annette talked with Maggie and Glenn. Beth's mind was elsewhere though and Daryl of course noticed. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down into him, Beth couldn't help but giggle at the surprise shift into Daryl's lap. He held her tight as his warm lips kissed her cold cheek, sending a lovely glow across her body "What's the matter baby? Yer look like her thinkin' 'bout somethin'." Daryl kept his voice a low whisper as the others carried on talking, oblivious to what Daryl and Beth were doing.

"Yunno, just a mornin' of shoppin' with momma is all. And it's so busy, last minute Christmas shoppers everywhere. Don't worry Daryl, I'm fine…Absolutely fine." Beth was looking straight into his eyes as she let the last two words linger on her lips. Daryl felt a little confused, like she wanted to say something to him. It really wasn't like Beth at all and although she said don't worry, that was all he could do.

The next few hours were spent with the six of them talking and eating and just generally enjoying being reunited. Everyone missed that. It was probably only once or twice a year now where the whole family got to be together. Shawn was missing, but he at least was going to be with them on Christmas Eve for a few days, and this time he was bringing someone. Amy. Hershel and Annette knew it was serious and that there'd probably be another Greene wedding soon. Shawn had never, ever introduced any of his girlfriends before so this was like a big deal, a really big deal. Everyone was excited, if a little apprehensive, at meeting the woman that appeared to have won the heart of Shawn Greene.

By the time the meal was cleared away and everyone had gone their separate ways, drifting off around the house and settling in for the evening, it was 8.30pm. Beth had decided she wanted to give Daryl the good news while they were in their special place. Not only because it was always where they went to talk but also because she wanted to be away from everyone else. As much as she loved them all she didn't need prying ears and eyes, especially if Daryl's reaction wasn't as positive as she was hoping it would be.

"Daryl will ya come with me ta the barn for a while? I wanna go through some of our old stuff, see what needs to be thrown out." Another lie tripped off Beth's tongue just as easily as if it were the truth.

"It's late. Don't ya wanna wait 'til tommora?" Daryl could see that Beth wasn't her usual self. She hadn't been for days, and he had no idea what to do about it.

"No I wanna do it now while I'm in the mood." Beth just wanted him to agree and to stop making this harder than it already was.

"Okay, but don't blame me when ya catch yer death from the cold." Daryl linked his fingers with Beth's and led her outside. He hoped maybe he could get her to talk when they were on their own in their stall.

They turned on a couple of the lamps and settled into their armchair for a moment. Just sitting quietly, neither wanting to be the first to speak. Beth was thinking about all the memories that filled the place. Everything around them had a memory attached to it. Their barn was like a museum, an unchanging shrine to the last fourteen years of their lives. Of course there was pain there, but mostly there was happiness. A strong overwhelming feeling of love that they'd built together, just the two of them. Now it was going to be the three of them. That thought filled Beth with more joy than she thought possible and she just wanted Daryl to feel the same.

"Daryl… I got ya an early Christmas present. I want… ya need ta have it now." Beth was fumbling around in her coat pocket, her fingers nervously stroking the long rectangular box she'd bought whilst she was in town earlier. She somehow thought showing him might be easier than actually saying it. She pulled out the silver box and held it out to him, still holding onto one end tightly.

"This… well this isn't like the presents you've bought me before Daryl. It's…I can't take it back… there's no refunds." Beth's eyes were full of hope and happiness as she stared at Daryl, her eyes shining the prettiest palest blue he'd ever seen, in the dim light of the stall.

"Why would I wanna take it back? Yunno ya make no sense ta me at all sometimes Beth Dixon. Whatever it is I'll love it…. But why are ya givin' it ta me now…. Christmas is only a few days away?" Daryl looked confused and a little bit unsure but he took the box anyway, Beth finally relinquishing her grip on it.

"It can't…I couldn't… you'll see. Just open it already will ya? Ya can never just do as yer told can ya Daryl Dixon?" Beth smiled one of her smiles that made her husband melt inside as she nudged his arm. He held back from kissing her and proceeded to take the lid off the box.

Daryl just looked at it. Looked at the blue line, glowing back up at him like it was a gift from above. He knew instantly what it was. He didn't make a sound, there was no expression and no movement from him either. The wait was even more painful than the one she'd had earlier. She wanted to speak but both her brain and mouth were refusing to work. So she did the only other thing she could think of, she touched his hand, slowly sliding her shaking fingers over his and linking them in an effort to steady herself. After what seemed like an eternity Daryl looked up at her. His heart was beating so fast he thought he might actually vomit, he couldn't catch his breath and his mouth was so dry he didn't think it would open.

"Say somethin'. Daryl. Anythin'. Please. Somethin'." Beth could only find odd words that didn't really string together. She just wanted an acknowledgement from him that he even understood what was going on.

"We're…yer…a baby? Havin'… yer gonna have a baby?" Daryl was making about as much sense as Beth. She thought that was a good sign. He looked happy, even if utterly shocked. He wasn't conveying it through words but she could almost feel his heart thumping and she could feel the happiness shining from him.

"Yes, yer gonna be a dad…Are ya mad? I truly had no idea Daryl. Not until momma told me last night. I'm so sorry I lied to ya about what happened last night and where we went today." Beth had moved her hand into Daryl's hair, holding the side of his face as her thumb brushed over his cheek.

"Fuckin' hell Beth. I'm gonna be a dad. Yer havin' a baby…. ma baby." Daryl had now suddenly come alive, he was almost shouting the words as the biggest smile she'd ever seen stretched from ear to ear over her husband's face "How?….I mean when? Are ya okay? Is that why you've been sick so much lately, are ya sure yer okay?" Daryl was full of questions, his mind firing off in all directions. He couldn't think straight. All he knew was, except for his wedding day, this was the happiest day of his life. He hadn't thought he could have been any happier than he was already, but here he was with the most beautiful heavenly creature he'd ever laid eyes on telling him she was having his baby.

"Yer not mad then?" Beth caught his eye and spoke softly, still not able to believe that he seemed so happy.

"Why would ya think I'd be mad baby? You, and a family of our own is all I've ever wanted. All I've ever dreamed of. You've given me everythin' Beth, everythin' I ever needed or desired and now there's gonna be another little Beth runnin' around makin' people happy, jus' like her momma always has." Daryl's arms were wrapped around his wife now. Engulfing her completely as he held her against his body in a way that felt different from any other time. He was protecting her. Shielding her. Letting anyone and everyone know that she was the most precious thing in the world and she was carrying the most precious cargo.

"Oh, Daryl I'm so happy I could cry…. but I'm so confused and scared I could cry too…and I feel completely out of my depth. I almost lost my mind I was so worried... about what you'd say, about how we're gonna manage. But I know in seven months we're gonna have another person to look after and…."

"Baby, look at me." Daryl interrupted his now panicking wife. He pulled back from her and held Beth at arm's length, his hands on each of her biceps "Ya ain't got nothin' ta be confused or scared about. Nothin' at all baby. I'm here, I ain't never leavin' ya, not for a second. You'll be sick a the sight a me by the time she gets here... I love ya Beth. You'll never understand, no one will, but yer the only thing in ma life that's ever been worth carryin' on for….yer gonna be the best mom in the world and I'm gonna try ta be a good dad to her, make ya both happy… as happy as you've made me." Daryl pulled her close again, rubbing his hands up and down her back, squeezing her as if he never wanted to let go.

"Daryl… why d'ya keep saying _she?_ It's only a tiny chickpea, it might be a _he, _a mini version of you." Beth burst out giggling. It was pure relief. The doubts that had been playing in the back of her mind for two weeks, the weight that had been getting heavier and more crushing with each day that passed had just disappeared in a matter of seconds. The sweet words she just heard from her husband soothed her soul, they made her feel as though she could do anything and she never had to worry about anything ever again.

"Because I jus' know it ain't a boy... It's a beautiful blonde haired blue eyed girl who's… almost as angelic as her momma… And why the hell did ya jus' call it a chickpea?... don't tell me, hormones, makin' ya crazy already."

Beth was almost hysterically laughing as she pulled back from Daryl and they both sat back in the armchair, more relaxed than either had been for weeks. Daryl was relieved more than he could explain, knowing there wasn't anything seriously wrong with his wife, so he started to laugh too. They fell against each other in a fit of uncontrollable laughter, just letting the emotion of the moment wash over them.

"I called it a chickpea 'cause that's what it is….a chickpea, or that's what my leaflet says anyway… at seven weeks it's half an inch long and the size of a chickpea. Its heart is beatin' 150 times a minute, twice as fast as mine. It's movin' around inside me like a jumpin' bean and has tiny webbed fingers and toes…. ya can read it all later, I'm sure I won't remember any of it… oh, except August 6th, that's when ya get to meet baby chickpea." Beth was breathless, still recovering from her fit of laughter as she explained what she'd read on her journey home.

Daryl had calmed down now and was gazing in awe at his beautiful wife. Watching her talk, taking in how different she looked and sounded and wondering how he hadn't realised. He supposed he'd been too busy worrying about all the awful things that might be wrong with her. Imaging the worst rather than the best. She looked…. Radiant, blooming, like she had a beautiful white aura surrounding her "Yer totally amazin' Beth Dixon, do ya know that? We're gonna be so happy… ya, me and baby chickpea." Daryl placed his hand on Beth's stomach and splayed out his fingers as he looked down and smiled at his little girl. Then he lifted his gaze to look at his glowing wife before closing his eyes and laying his head back against the cushions.

Suddenly she was there, it was that same blinding white light and the same images of a blonde haired, blue eyed giggling little girl he'd been having since he was a child. A baby he now knew was his daughter. He didn't know why he saw her, he didn't know what it meant but it had always made him feel warm inside. He was there with her too this time, he was holding her in his arms and twirling her round and round until she was squealing for her daddy to stop. Then she whispered to him, holding her tiny hand against his ear so no one else could hear... "We love ya daddy. We won't ever leave ya… just have faith." Then she started to giggle before she kissed her daddy's lips.

"Daryl baby, wake up! Are ya dreamin' again? Come on, lets go back in, I'm gettin' cold out here." Daryl opened his eyes to find Beth bent over him, smiling as she tried to pull him up out of the chair.

"Beth?" Daryl was almost whispering now.

"Yeah."

"I love ya." Daryl looked happy enough to burst as he took in everything that was his wife.

"I know ya do Daryl… good thing I love ya even more... between us they'll be plenty for our little girl." Beth smiled at him and tugged on his hand to get him to his feet.

They were quiet, reflecting, as they walked back to the house hand in hand, before Daryl broke the silence.

"Beth… can we?… is it?… will we still be able to?…"

"Have sex? Yes Daryl we can still do whatever ya want… although when I'm so fat I look like a whale I seriously doubt you'll wanna come anywhere near me." Beth chuckled as she interrupted her husband, putting him out of his embarrassment.

"Beth yer growin' a lil' person inside ya…a lil' person I put there. Ya ain't fat, yer fuckin' sexy as hell. It's makin' me hard as a rock jus' thinkin' 'bout how gorgeous yer gonna look and all the thing's I'm gonna do ta ya." Daryl stopped as they reached the porch and he pulled Beth into his arms, kissing her as though he hadn't touched her for years. It was hungry and fast and messy. After a while, Beth finally broke the kiss, her heart beating so fast she thought it was possibly matching that of her daughters.

"I also read that as soon as my hormones kick in and start to go haywire, I'm gonna feel as horny as hell. It also says my husband needs ta be available at all times to satisfy my every need….yunno to stop me and chickpea gettin' stressed and frustrated." Beth was kissing frantically around his neck and jaw as her breath became ragged.

"Is that so Mrs. Dixon? Well it's lucky for ya that you've got such an attentive husband then ain't it?" Daryl smirked as he pulled her back into him, grinding his erection into her through the thick layers of clothing that separated them. "God Beth, I wanna be inside ya so bad." Daryl couldn't help himself, his hands were groping her ass, stroking her back, tangling in her hair. He wanted her more than he'd ever wanted her before, the knowledge that part of him was growing, moving inside her made him feel so aroused, excited, proud and…possessive.

"Please…take me ta bed Daryl… chickpea's tired and I need my husband ta make love ta me." Daryl opened the door, lifting Beth into his arms as they disappeared into the house, into the loving warmth of their family and into the promise of what was to come.


	13. Chapter 13: Adjustments

**A/N: Happy Friday = Happy Story. Enjoy! Love, Lola and E xxx**

**The Hunger**

**Chapter 13 – Adjustments**

**Monday, February 7th 2005. Savannah, GA**

Beth was running late. She'd slept in longer than she should have and was now pissed. Of all the days for things to go wrong, it of course had to happen today. She and Daryl had to be at Savannah Hospital at 2pm for chickpeas first ultrasound, Beth's thirteen week scan. Daryl had been climbing the walls with excitement the last two weeks, he wanted to see his little girl so badly and hadn't cared that everyone at college and work had been teasing him, saying it would just look like a black and white fuzzy blob, he just wanted to see her little heartbeat. He already knew what she looked like. He knew she was beautiful, he just needed reassurance she was healthy. That his Beth was healthy. Her morning sickness had lasted for another five weeks following Christmas but had finally subsided just this week. Beth had taken quite a bit of time off work and college because of how unwell she'd felt, even with medication. She couldn't keep anything down and hadn't even had the strength to walk until at least midday on most days.

After much persuasion, Daryl had finally agreed to meet Beth at the hospital rather than them going together. He wanted to go straight home from work and collect Beth but she said it was too much fuss, he should just go directly there and she would meet him. Except for work, Daryl hadn't left Beth's side. And even when she had been at work he would speak to her every hour just to see if anything had changed since the hour before when he'd checked!

Beth usually adored that Daryl was so attentive. Sex since he'd found out about chickpea had been just mind blowing, and just knowing he was there all the time made her feel safe and warm, but seriously sometimes she could have just throttled him. Her hormones were all over the place, and unable to stop herself on a few occasions, she had unintentionally flipped at Daryl, telling him to get out and leave her alone. She would then start to sob uncontrollably, beg him to come back and swear she would never do it again. It always ended in makeup sex though, fantastic makeup sex. Beth had started to suspect Daryl was winding her up on purpose sometimes just for that reason. But truthfully, she didn't care, so she carried on letting him.

The last six weeks had seen Beth's body change dramatically too. Her stomach had become distended and rounded and her breasts had almost doubled in size, neither of which Daryl complained about. In fact he found it all a massive turn on and he spent almost every moment he was with her trying to disguise an erection. He struggled to stop himself jumping her in public too, although to compensate he spent most of his time using his hands to either carefully caress his wife's stomach as he talked sweetly to his daughter or to gently massage her breasts as he whispered dirty things to his wife.

Daryl arrived at the hospital early and made his way to the obstetrics unit, feeling quite out of place as he took a seat amongst numerous women and couples of different ages and stages of pregnancy. They all looked up, expressionless, probably wondering what the hell a twenty year old redneck was doing on his own in the baby unit. Daryl dipped his head and busied himself with scrolling through his cell phone, until he saw the sign opposite him banning cell phone use and again noticed he was being watched disapprovingly and being judged. He just gave them all a sheepish grin and put his phone away as they went back to reading their baby magazines.

It was almost 2pm and he was starting to worry about Beth. He was just about to call her when he became distracted by a small figure further along the corridor. A familiar figure. It was Erika. She was walking towards him, dressed in a gorgeous emerald green dress that almost outshone the dazzling vividness of her sapphire blue eyes. Daryl couldn't help but grin at her, his heart starting to thump with excitement. But seconds later his mouth went dry, his thoughts turning to panic. Pure horrifying panic that flooded his body as if trying to drown him, as he imagined bad news. He hadn't seen Erika in almost two years and to be honest he thought he never would again. Surely she must only be here to share his happy news? She couldn't have anything awful to warn him about could she? No, he'd seen her after he was married and that had been a happy occasion. Erika's smile as she headed towards him was intoxicating though, it relaxed him. His heart started to slow as the panic started to subside. The safe warmth that he always felt when she was around him was present again, an invisible touch, like a blanket engulfing him as a mother would swaddle a child.

"Daryl…. Oh my precious little boy. It's so good to see you again. And what happy times." Erika outstretched her arms towards the young man that she'd spent the last twenty year's watching over.

Daryl almost scooped the tiny woman up, holding her on tip toes as he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight. Suddenly he felt every eye on him again. He realized he and Erika were being scrutinized, so he walked her around the corner, still holding her in his tight embrace but out of view and out of earshot of the pregnant women.

"Shit Erika, what are…sorry… but what are ya doin' here? I thought I wasn't gonna ever see ya again." Daryl apologized for his language, he knew Erika wouldn't appreciate it.

"There, there, that's enough Daryl. And less of the profanities please." Erika patted Daryl on the back. She was happier than she'd ever let on and it never ceased to amaze her how loving and soft and gentle Daryl Dixon was, despite the sheer brutality he'd endured for years. Erika liked to think that was Beth's doing, it made her glow inside to know she'd helped them find each other "Uhm…Daryl...you can release me now, I can't breathe." Daryl finally relinquished his hold on the petite brunette and grinned at her.

"Sorry. I'm jus' so happy ta see ya is all." Erika gave him a huge smile that told him she was just as happy.

"So you're going to meet your baby?...I'm so happy for you Daryl, so happy that you've got everything you want. I'm so proud of you too. You've done so well, come such a long way." Erika looked like she was tearing up "Not so much my little boy nowadays though are you? You've grown into quite the gorgeous young man, not that you weren't a delightful little boy too, just now you are… beautiful… inside and out." Daryl started to blush at the compliment and dropped his eyes to the ground. He was used to Beth saying those sorts of things to him, but no one else ever had. Erika chuckled, partly to quell the tears and embarrassment but mainly because of the striking resemblance between Daryl and his brother Merle now, and the inappropriate images that were racing through her mind. Those thoughts made her catch her breath. She tried not to think on Merle Dixon too much, since she knew it would lead to wicked thoughts and memories of _that_ night. She'd gone and fallen for him, not that she could ever admit it, and seeing Daryl brought it all back to her. Somehow she felt closer to Merle just by being close to his brother.

Although it was frowned upon for her kind to get too attached to their human charges, it didn't make it any easier for Erika not to. She had a tender heart and… well Daryl Dixon was special. Of all the humans she had shepherded, guided and sheltered over the millennia, Daryl was by far her favorite, which was another reason she'd become more involved than she should, turning up at times of happiness as well as the times of desolation in his life. She pushed and bent the rules where her precious boy was concerned, doing and saying far more than she should have. For him, Erika would brave any wrath from above that might be meted out, she was old enough and wise enough to know exactly how to deal with it, and he was worth the sacrifice.

"Erika, I already know she's beautiful but I wanna see her… for real, on the screen and movin'. I'm so excited."

Erika looked at Daryl strangely for a moment. He'd just said _she. _She thought maybe he meant to say _he _and it was just a slip. Erika knew Beth was carrying a boy. She'd seen it in one of her visions. He was a beautiful bonny little boy who looked exactly like Daryl except with blonde hair, gifted from his mother of course. He was all smiles and gurgles and just too adorable for words.

"Do you know if it's a boy or a girl, or do you find out today?" Erika thought she'd push it, there was something _off _about the whole of Daryl's demeanour and it was worrying her.

"I think they can tell us today if we want to know… but I've always known. It's a girl. We're gonna have a daughter." Daryl was far too excited to have noticed the shift in Erika's aura, the confusion and bewilderment on her face at Daryl's un-floundering belief the baby was a girl.

Erika lifted her hand and held it to the side of Daryl's face, as she looked at him intently. Their eyes locked for a moment and then a blinding flash of white light almost caused Erika to fall over. Another vision, but this time it wasn't one of her own…. She was seeing a replay of what Daryl had seen, she was seeing the little baby girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, the girl that was unmistakably Daryl's daughter, giggling as Daryl held her in his arms, twirling her around "We love ya daddy. We won't ever leave ya… just have faith…" Erika was experiencing an echo of a vision Daryl had seen weeks ago.

Daryl grabbed Erika to stop her collapsing, he held her upright and safe until her eyes flickered opened again "Erika…. What's wrong? Hey Erika…wake up… please!" Daryl was becoming panicked as he looked at the lifeless form in his arms, stroking her cheek to try and get her to open her eyes.

"Daryl?…. Oh dear…I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened. Maybe the excitement of seeing you again my boy. No really… it's nothing to worry over…I sometimes faint that's all, when I see things." Erika was back with him, trying to explain it away best she could as she stood and smoothed herself down, trying to regain her usual perfect composure.

Erika could sense Beth was in the building now, she needed to make her excuses and leave. She was totally unclear about what was going on though, and she just had to know. She had to know about the visions Daryl received. Why? Where were they from? What were they about? How many? When? How often? Erika couldn't be wrong, could she? Beth was having a boy, Erika's visions were never wrong. But then who was the girl she'd just seen? What did the message from her mean? If Daryl was having visions why did he see a daughter and not the son that Erika knew of? Erika was more than perturbed, she was at a loss. She did not like secrets, she did not like being kept out of the loop where Daryl was concerned and she most definitely did not like the feeling she was getting from this whole strange meeting with Daryl.

"Who's the little girl you see in your dreams, Daryl?" Erika couldn't stop herself from asking. She needed an answer and she needed to know everything was going to be okay for her precious boy.

"How?...Why?...ya can see huh?...I forget ya see everythin'. She's called 'Faith'. Or that's what I call her, since she started to talk ta me. Ya don't think I'm crazy do ya? She does talk ta me yunno. I didn't know what it was to start with, but she was always there, in ma dreams, in ma thoughts, ever since me and Beth had… well, yunno... when she started to become a real possibility." Daryl was crimson from embarrassment now, both from what he'd just admitted to his friend and what she would think of him.

"I don't think you're crazy Daryl, I think you're extraordinary. I've always known you were special and that you were meant for great things. I know you are going to be the best father in the world Daryl. You make sure you remember that." Erika leant forwards and stretched up to place a kiss on Daryl's warm cheek.

"I have to leave now. Beth will be here any moment. You need to concentrate on her… and your little… chickpea." Erika's eyes lit up as she lingered on the last word. She began to giggle as if she were a teenager once more, as she remembered what she'd heard in one of her dreams. She'd thought it just the cutest and sweetest thing she'd ever heard in her whole long existence.

"Ya really know everythin' don't ya? But I'm glad ya do…" Daryl snapped his head away from Erika to focus on the familiar figure moving towards him down the hallway. Beth. Erika thought perhaps she didn't know _everything_. God works in mysterious ways after all. Her job was just to watch and wait, so that's what she would continue to do.

"Daryl…I know, I know, I'm late. Sorry baby. Have we missed our appointment?... damned alarm didn't go off and I slept in." Beth interrupted Darylnas she breathlessly panted out an apology. Daryl beamed at his wife before turning back to Erika, only to find her gone. He could just about make out a flash of emerald green as she disappeared around the corner of the long corridor. Damn her, she was always doing that, not letting him finish. He couldn't help but smile to himself though, he loved seeing Erika, however long or short their interactions, but he wished she'd let him say goodbye sometimes.

"Who were you talkin' to baby?" Beth was finally catching her breath as she leant up to plant a kiss on Daryl's lips.

"Oh, jus' a woman that works here. She was askin' what I was doin' here on ma own…I suppose I looked a bit odd. The other women around there were starin' at me too." Daryl hated lying but he couldn't just all of a sudden tell Beth about Erika, not after fourteen years of keeping her a secret.

"Oh they were, were they? Well lets go sit down an' give 'em somethin' to stare at. Stupid women…. And I really am sorry for bein' late. I'm so glad we didn't miss our appointment. I'm so excited Daryl." Beth grabbed onto Daryl's hand and was just about to kiss him again when she heard her name being called.

"That's us Mr Dixon, ya ready to meet yer daughter?" Beth pulled Daryl round the corner, purposefully stopping to kiss him in front of everyone, before following the sonographer into her room, dragging her husband behind her.

Beth had to answer what seemed like a thousand questions before she was invited to lie on the bed and lift her top and move her pants down over her small bump. She let out a gasp as the freezing cold gel squeezed out onto her warm skin and was slowly moved around by the transducer.

"Sorry, there's no way of warmin' it I'm afraid. It always feels cold. It'll warm up in a minute." the sonographer gave a friendly smile to Beth. She knew this first scan was always nerve wracking for both parents, them not knowing what to expect and then seeing that new little person that had been faceless for so long become real. Daryl was holding Beth's hand as it lay next to her on the bed, stroking his thumb back and forth across her knuckles in a nervous slow rhythm.

"I think yer husband looks like he might explode with the anticipation." the sonographer gave a little chuckle at the man sat next to her patient.

"Yeah, he's more excited than me, ain't ya Daryl?" Beth looked at her husband, smiled and squeezed his hand. Daryl didn't answer, he seemed to be in a world of his own.

Daryl was transfixed to the monitor, the black and white fuzzy monitor that appeared to be empty. The sonographer had been moving the transducer around trying to find a heartbeat for an age. Daryl and Beth were now just looking at each other, eyes wide in panic.

"Hey, don't worry you two, it always takes a while, the baby's so small it just hides sometimes, thinks it's playing hide and seek with its momma and daddy. No one told 'em it's not a game." the woman could see how anxious they were and she honestly hadn't seen such a cute and in love couple as these two. She wanted to put them at ease, try to lighten the mood.

"Well... there it is. Look. On the screen, just there." Beth and Daryl both followed the woman's finger as she pointed to the almost invisible heartbeat "It's got a strong healthy thud goin' on, maybe takes after you huh dad, you look pretty fit." Beth burst out laughing at that comment, Daryl of course flushing crimson.

"Oh, I'm so sorry…I meant… healthy fit… not that yer not fit fit too…I...I'll just shut up now…" she nervously laughed hoping the couple hadn't taken offence. The woman went back to looking at the screen and all of a sudden swallowed hard, moving closer for a better look as she continued to move the transducer.

"Oh!" the lady couldn't help but gasp. There was another heartbeat, hidden by the one at the front. There was another baby, lying almost parallel to the first.

Beth and Daryl snapped their heads to look at the woman "What?!" Daryl snapped. "What's wrong? Is it the baby? Is she okay? Tell me." Beth felt sick, horrible thoughts flashing through her mind.

"No, _they're_ fine... _Both_ of them are absolutely fine!" the sonographer spoke slowly but was grinning like mad at them.

Beth and Daryl looked at each other blankly, trying to work out if she'd really just told them they were having two babies. They were lost in thought, staring open mouthed at each other as they tried to process it.

"Yes... yer havin' twins." Beth gripped onto Daryl's hand and a huge grin spread out over her face.

"Oh my God Daryl there's two. We're havin' twins." Beth almost squealed the words out.

"Two? Two lil' girls... Shit Beth. Two!" Daryl seemed to glaze over as he drifted back off into his own little world.

Beth and Daryl slowly calmed down as they turned to watch the monitor again, needing to see it for themselves.

The lady explained what they were looking at. The tiny hands and feet, the spines, the heads and eyes, the umbilical cords. They could even see that one of babies was moving its arm up and down towards its face, as though it was about to suck its thumb.

Daryl just sat mesmerized by the whole thing. He's never seen anything so beautiful, they were perfect. But then he knew they would be because Beth was their momma. Beth caught his eye after tearing herself away from the monitor, and mouthed 'I love you'. That was probably what caused the one solitary tear to fall from Daryl's eye, before he quickly blinked the rest away.

"Do you guys wanna know if they're boys or girls? I can tell ya if ya do."

"Yes, please… Daryl here thinks he knows what it is already… but now there's two I have no idea." Beth wanted to hear it confirmed. She'd never understood why Daryl had always been so sure it was a girl. Not that she cared either way, but it would be nice to know if the chickpea's were boys or girls so they could start to think of some names.

"Okay…well congratulations 'cause yer havin' a baby boy _and_ a baby girl."

Daryl didn't speak or move. The words reverberated around his head as he continued to look at Beth. He was going to have a son as well as his little girl. He couldn't actually believe it.

"Are you sure?" Beth could see the look on her husband's face. A look of bemusement. The knowledge they were having two babies taking a while to process and be accepted.

"These things don't come with a guarantee but ya can say it's 90% sure. The main thing is yer babies are strong and healthy … absolutely fine and you look like yer blossomin' now too…I see from yer notes you've been on medication for bad mornin' sickness but that's passed now?"

"Yes, I've been fine for about a week now and am enjoyin' it much more." Beth smiled at the woman even though her mind was firmly fixed on Daryl.

"D'ya want copies of the scan? Most people take two or three just to show people, give the grandparents."

"Yes, three will be fine thanks." Beth was talking to the woman but looking at Daryl, stroking his hand until he looked up at her. Beth didn't speak, her smiling eyes told him it was all going to be fine. Daryl grinned back at her this time, the realisation that both his babies and wife were fine and healthy giving him a warm feeling inside. He realised nothing else mattered.

The sonographer wiped down Beth's belly and told her she could readjust her clothes and get up. She passed the copies of the scan to Daryl, who mumbled thank you as he still seemed to be in another world.

"Well, I'll see you both at the next scan. Take care a yerselves until then… and I'll wanna know what names you've picked for 'em both." the sonographer smiled kindly again and led the couple out of her room and back into the waiting area, immediately calling the next couple.

"Let's get outta here. I'll drive. I wanna go home." Beth grabbed for Daryl's hand.

Beth led Daryl along the corridor, into the elevator and back out into the fresh afternoon air of the hospital parking lot. They didn't speak, they both became lost in their own thoughts for a while. Beth was overjoyed that her two chickpeas were healthy. The thought of having a daughter _and_ a son that looked just like her beautiful Daryl filled her with such happiness it made her heart sing.

"Daryl, are ya okay baby? Ya look dazed….I know yer were only expectin' a lil' girl, but yer gonna get a beautiful son too, a tiny version of you. I get ta have another Daryl live with me. Another thoughtful, carin', lovin' gorgeous little boy to keep our beautiful daughter company." Beth curled her arms around her husband's neck, and kissed him. A long lingering closed mouth kiss.

"I'm jus' shocked….I ain't disappointed or upset. Just amazed. I'm gonna love him jus' as much as I already do our lil' girl….it's jus' gonna take a while ta get used ta knowin' I'm gonna have a son too, is all." They both stayed quiet for a while, just holding each other.

"Fuckin' hell Beth we're gonna have two kids... at the same time. How are we gonna cope? How are we gonna afford it? Shit." Daryl started to laugh at himself and how he was panicking. It was his poor wife that was going to have to carry two babies around for nine months then give birth to them. Daryl was now holding Beth tight, his arms curled round her waist and his forehead pressed down into hers "Shit...I love ya so much Beth…. two babies...and they're ours, he's our lil' boy, she's our lil' girl. They're two perfect, wonderful miracles that are part you and part me…. And I love them both more than I can explain. And I love you even more."

Tears started to well in Beth's eyes. She wasn't quite sure if it was just her stupid hormones or the fact that if she became any happier she would burst. She pressed her lips into Daryl's, her tongue lightly brushing over his lips as Daryl opened his mouth to allow her in. They kissed slowly for a time, not bothered they were stood right in front of the hospital entrance or that everyone was looking at them as they passed by.

Daryl finally pulled back as eagerness and excitement took over from shock and panic. "Do ya wanna go shoppin'? I still got the afternoon off and I think we need to start buyin' our lil' boy and lil' girl some clothes…. Now we know they're okay and yer okay. Then when I get ya home I'm gonna show ya exactly how much _this_ turns me on." Daryl was rubbing the palm of his hand around Beth's belly, gently stroking as she let out a groan, half relief and half anticipation.

"That sounds like an excellent plan Mr Dixon…. But the chickpeas say they want a teddy bear each as well as clothes...one blue and one pink!" Beth giggled, grabbing hold of Daryl's hand as she let him lead her back to the car.

**Wednesday, April 13th 2005. Savannah, GA**

Beth woke to Daryl bringing her breakfast in bed. It was her twentieth birthday and Daryl had taken the day off work to spoil her. Beth had also taken the day off, and even though she'd had so much time off lately, her boss had been really understanding, even buying her flowers for her Birthday. Beth had started to agree with Daryl that her boss did maybe have a little crush on her, although she didn't mind too much if it meant she could get away with slacking sometimes.

"Happy birthday gorgeous. How's my three favorite people this mornin'?" Daryl put her breakfast down on the nightstand and catapulted himself back into the bed next to Beth, lying down and cuddling up behind her as he wrapped his arm over his wife's now massive belly.

"Well Daniel and Faith are fine, as usual... but momma's achin'. I swear yer son spent all night kickin' a football around inside me." Beth chuckled, although her back really did feel like it was splitting in two.

"Don't be blamin' Daniel, it mighta been Faith yunno...always blamin' the boy huh?... Anyway they must be asleep now, I can't feel 'em movin' anymore." Daryl's palm was stroking wide circles over Beth's naked belly, following the contours of his children's tiny limbs. He'd lifted her nightdress and was kissing her neck suggestively.

"Daryl, don't ya ever stop!?" Beth playfully swatted at her husband to get him to leave her alone.

Due to how much bigger Beth had become over the last month, their sex life had changed beyond what either ever thought it would. There were certain positions that just wouldn't work anymore and certain things Daryl wouldn't do to his wife either, he said it didn't seem right to tie her up and punish her when she had two babies inside her. Beth missed that side of things more than she ever thought she would. But he made it up to her in other ways. He gave her oral sex almost as often as he actually made love to her. He said she tasted and smelt different; sweet, fragrant and just sexy as hell. Beth didn't complain, she just let him go down on her as much as he wanted. It felt different for her somehow too, the feel of his touch more heightened, her flesh more delicate and sensitive. When he trailed his warm wet tongue over her center it felt more delicious than she ever imagined it could.

"Nah…I ain't never gonna stop wantin' ya…ya shouldn't be so damn sexy Mrs Dixon. I hafta touch ya… all the damn time." Daryl wasn't put off by Beth's mock annoyance one bit. Of course he knew he was over the top with showing her affection sometimes, but he also knew Beth didn't mind. It was strange to him really. Wanting to touch and be touched. He'd had a lifetime of Beth touching him but it was only after they were married that it mattered so much. It had always connected them, but it was now the one thing he knew he could never live without. The feel of her skin on his, his body inside hers.

"Can I at least eat ma breakfast first? Yer kids say they're starvin' and yer wife's got a hunger like she's not eaten for days." Beth chuckled as she wriggled out of Daryl's grip, pulling her nightdress down and sitting back against the headboard "Yunno after labor we can't have sex for at least four weeks, longer if I get all messed up and have ta have stitches?" Beth looked at Daryl wide eyed, waiting for a response.

"Baby, why da ya think I'm gettin' in as much as I can now?! And ya ain't gonna get all messed up, everythin's gonna be fine, ma babies ain't gonna hurt ya. Daniel's gonna be a good boy… jus' like his daddy, and Faith...well she'll do as Daniel tells her!" Daryl smirked wickedly as he leant over his wife and passed her the breakfast he'd made, before placing a kiss on her rosy cheek. Beth just rolled her eyes at the man that meant the absolute world to her, unable to stop herself from smiling just a bit at how relaxed and confident her husband was nowadays. With sex, with her, with college and work and just life in general. He'd blossomed. When she thought back to how he was when they were six years old, her heart broke, but right now her heart just wanted to burst with pride and happiness.

Beth ate her breakfast as they sat and talked for a while about their future; about the babies, moving to Atlanta one day, finishing college next year and having more kids. Daryl told her he wanted at least four, Beth told Daryl he'd get what he was given, depending on how she liked labor! Beth seriously didn't mind how many children they had. If her husband wanted four, she'd give him four. She only ever wanted him to be happy.

"Beth, I ain't got ya much for ya birthday this year, 'cause we're savin' for the chickpeas and stuff but there is somethin' I wanna show ya. I've known 'bout it for a while but I only got the letter a couple a weeks ago."

"What Daryl, what are ya talkin' about? Tell me. It sounds excitin'." Beth was beaming at the man sat next to her who had suddenly turned nervous. She didn't understand why he still got nervous around her, like he thought she would be disappointed in him for some reason. She'd never be disappointed in him, but she supposed that was a trait ingrained in him by his bastard pa…. Will Dixon had never wanted his son to do well at anything and would punish him if he did.

"Uuhhhh….ya read it. I ain't no good at stuff like this." Daryl passed a fancy cream, handwritten and torn envelope to Beth and gave her a shy look from under his now shorter but still messy hair.

"Daryl?... okay hold on a minute… let me…" Beth noticed the postmark was from the UK. Why on earth would Daryl be getting letters from the UK? Okay her interest was well and truly piqued now. Beth yanked the letter out of the envelope and unfolded it. It was handwritten to match the envelope, in beautiful black calligraphy. It reminded her of something very old, but quaint. She went quiet as her eyes moved across the page, silently for a while, taking in exactly what was there.

"Oh my God Daryl Dixon…. This is amazin' baby. Why didn't ya tell me before though? Just to be nominated is wonderful… but ya… ya won baby. Ya came first…" Beth's voice trailed off as she started to get emotional.

The letter was from RIBA, The Royal Institute of British Architects, the oldest and most prestigious institute in the world representing architects and architecture. Daryl's head of faculty at SCAT had been invited to enter a student and their work into each of the Bronze, Silver and Gold Presidents Medals Students Awards. She had nominated Daryl and his 'dream home' project in the Silver Award category and he'd won. His work was being shown in RIBA's exhibition in London along with all other entries. The design was one he'd worked on for years, on and off. It was the one he'd started after sleeping with Beth that first time. It was the house he was one day going to build for her and their children.

"Yeah, well no one was more shocked than me. Hansen's are buzzin' 'cause of all the media attention they've been gettin', yunno in architect circles. It'll bring in lots a new interest and business for 'em…"

"Baby I'm so proud of ya, so so proud. And it's the best birthday present I've ever had… ever." Beth interrupted Daryl, she was just so excited "…sorry, carry on, what were ya sayin'?"

"They've… well they've offered me a permanent post once I graduate next year, still as an intern architect…." Beth almost shattered Daryl's eardrums as she squealed with delight "…and ya won't believe how much they're gonna pay me…I nearly passed out when they spoke ta me 'bout it." Daryl looked almost as excited as Beth now, all nerves gone, just a childlike eagerness to please his wife remaining.

"Oh God Daryl, arrrhhhh…I'm so happy. Tell me. Tell me what they said. Put me outta my misery."

"Seventy five thousand a year… they don't want me ta move ta Atlanta. They want me ta stay in Savannah and they'll match any other offers I get. They think I'll get head hunted now but I told 'em they were jus' bein' stupid." Daryl was now smiling from ear to ear and his wife was doing the exact same. They just sat staring at each other for a time, both thinking of so much they thought their heads might actually explode.

"Baby… it does mean we'll have to stay in Savannah for longer. We won't be able to move to Atlanta…. But we can move from here, somewhere bigger away from students. Somewhere with a yard for Daniel and Faith. And ya won't have ta worry 'bout workin' or money… you and the kids can have everythin' ya want…"

"Daryl I already _have_ everythin' I want… or I will have when these…aarrrhhh." Beth grimaced for a second as she held her stomach.

"Beth what's wrong?" Beth grabbed Daryl's hand, she lifted her nightdress and placed his palm on her belly. On their baby's hand to be precise. Daniel or Faith, in the commotion had appeared to have woken and wanted to congratulate their daddy by punching momma hard in the belly.

"Can ya feel it? That's their little fist. I think they want ta shake daddy's hand and tell him well done." Beth giggled as she leant back, watching the look of amazement on her husband's face as he wiggled his fingers gently against the tiny fingers that were pushing Beth's belly into all sorts of strange shapes.

"It feels strange, does it hurt? It looks like it's painful." Daryl gazed at Beth for a moment, unsure, but in total awe at how utterly perfect his wife was.

"No it doesn't hurt, it just feels… a bit uncomfortable, different. Like a push or a strong flutter... a mild feelin' of pressure from deep inside. It looks worse than it feels I think…. Like that scene in the movie, where the alien bursts through that man's stomach." Beth started to laugh as Daryl quietly snuggled his head into Beth's shoulder, with a grin still plastered on his face. "Thank you… for givin' me everythin' I ever wanted Beth. I'm gonna take such good care a ya…all a ya."

"Daryl I'm so proud of you, the chickpeas are proud of ya too. They know yer gonna be such a great daddy, and I already know that yer a great husband, the best. I don't care about Atlanta, as long as we're all together and yer happy. We can move in a few years or we can always stay here, I don't care... I love you."

"I love ya too." Daryl carried on holding his wife for a time "Hey, d'ya want ya other present now? It ain't much but I thought ya'd like 'em." Daryl was now fishing around in his nightstand, retrieving the books he'd wrapped up for his wife.

Beth unwrapped the parcel, which wasn't difficult as Daryl's wrapping skills weren't really up to much, before throwing her arms around her husband "Aawwww, they're lovely Daryl. Thank ya. I'm gonna start fillin' 'em in straight away… and we need new pictures of us… one with me lookin' like a whale! And one with ya lookin' all gorgeous and proud with yer letter." Beth was already flipping through the pages of the baby record books, one pink and one blue. Daryl had had the covers printed with their children's names. DANIEL HERSHEL DIXON. FAITH SARAH DIXON. They had pages for photos and writing. Spaces for dates and times and all of baby's milestones for their first year. It would be a permanent reminder of the happiest time of her life, well, if she maybe forgot about the morning sickness part!

"Come on then, let's get up… I got plans for later and not all of them involve you and me naked!" Daryl jumped out of bed, kissing his wife's head.

Daryl told her they weren't going out anywhere today but she should put on the floral maternity sundress he liked because he had all sorts of ideas on what he was going to do to her later whilst she was wearing it, which included chocolate sauce, a blindfold, and icecubes. Beth couldn't help but blush when he whispered exactly what his plans were, although she was still curious as to what else he'd organized for the day.

"You've got about an hour before ya need ta be ready. D'ya want me ta give ya a back rub while ya take a bath?" Daryl was sat on top of the bedspread now, squeezed onto a small area next to Beth.

"Would ya baby? My back really aches after last night... and yunno ya got magic fingers." Beth giggled as she walked her fingers upwards along his bare thigh. Daryl just smirked at his wife's attempts to wind him up.

"Yeah, I'll be havin' words with ma kids when they're here yunno. I'm the only one s'posed ta make momma ache by keepin' her up all night!" Daryl chuckled at the image. Him reprimanding two adorable babies over moving around inside their momma.

Daryl's thoughts momentarily wandered to his own mom and pa. He wondered if she'd liked it when she felt him kick or move inside her, or whether his pa had just shouted and slapped her. He wondered if his pa had ever hit her belly while he was in there. He remembered from when he was little his pa telling him he'd tried to get rid of him. Lately he'd even wondered if his pa had raped his mom and that's why he'd hated Daryl so much, he remembered hearing screams from his parents bedroom often when he was little but didn't know what it meant then. Perhaps it wasn't just hitting that his pa did to his mom, he hoped he was wrong. He wondered how any man could be so cruel to his own family and then he wished his momma could be here to see Daniel and Faith. He wanted his mom to be proud of him but he knew that was an impossibility now. Now that she was dead.

"Daryl baby, are ya okay? Yer away on another planet again I think." Beth tried to snap her husband out of his trance by waving her hand in front of his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine… jus' thinkin' 'bout mom is all…I'd a liked her ta have met ya and the chickpeas. Yunno, she weren't bad Beth, she…. Well she jus' did what she had ta, ta cope with _him." _

"Daryl, I know she wasn't bad baby. I know she loved ya. And she did her best… but yer pa. Well he was just too much, he was horrid… evil, Daryl. Please don't think about them, don't get upset. I know it ain't the same but ya know mom and dad think of ya as their son too, they always have Daryl. Yunno ya can always talk ta them, go ta them about anythin'... and Maggie and Glenn and Shawn. They all love ya. And you've got me… you'll always have me… and yer two lil' chickpeas of course." Beth smiled, determined not to cry, as she held Daryl's face in her hands, kissing him tenderly across his lips and cheeks, along his jaw.

"I'm the luckiest man in the world, I know that. I ain't complainin'. I love yer family ta bits, they've never been anythin' but kind and lovin' towards me, and it is the same Beth. I do think of 'em as the mom and dad I never had." Daryl placed a kiss on Beth's lips before standing and going to fill the bathtub for his wife. He didn't want her to see the tears that were about to fall, not on her birthday, not when they were so happy.

Daryl had refused to tell Beth what was happening, as she'd find out in an hours' time anyway. So she and Daryl took a bath, Daryl gave her a back rub, they got dressed then sat and flicked through the baby books again for a while. Sure enough an hour later there was a knock on the apartment door. Beth opened it to find her entire family stood there with huge stupid grins on their faces and armfuls of presents. Annette, Hershel, Maggie, Glenn, Shawn and Amy. She couldn't have been any happier and bounded out into the hallway, throwing herself at them. She hadn't seen them since just after Christmas and they got quite a shock when they saw how big she'd become.

"Happy Birthday sis… oh my…are ya sure ya ain't havin' triplets really? Yer freakin' huge girl!" Maggie grinned and hoped Beth knew she was joking. She thought her sister looked glowing "If bein' pregnant makes ya glow like that, I might tell Glenn we need ta have a baby... but just one would be fine with me!" Maggie giggled and embraced her sister.

"It ain't bein' pregnant that's makin' me glow sis, it's the constant sex I have ta put up with. Daryl's been insatiable since we found out I was pregnant….I think it's my hormones or pheromones or somethin' makin' him horny as hell." Beth whispered to her sister as she squeezed her tight. Maggie's mouth just dropped open as though she was catching flies.

"Bethy, you look… radiant? Happy Birthday!...How's my little girl and my two little grandbabies then?" Hershel threw his arms around his youngest and held her tight as he kissed the top of her head.

"I'm good daddy, I ain't sick anymore. It's just the chickpeas keepin' me awake with their kickin' now. I reckon Daniel's gonna be a soccer player for sure, and Faith probably an Olympic hurdler, it feels like that's what she's doin' in there anyway!" Beth snorted as she moved along to her momma.

"Happy Birthday baby girl, ya look beautiful. But then ya always do. Ya feelin' better now? How's the babies?" Annette had grabbed Beth's cheeks and was babbling on at her.

"Yes mom I feel fine now. Don't worry, Daryl's been real attentive like always." Beth glanced over her shoulder to find Daryl, but he was already deep in conversation with Shawn and Glenn. That made her happy. Seeing how comfortable he was. Seeing how comfortable all the people she loved were with one another. Looking around, she noticed there was one thing, one person missing from the picture though. Merle. She thought how happy Daryl would be if he could see his brother again, especially now he had such happy news to tell him.

The afternoon soon disappeared as everyone talked and laughed. Of course Annette had brought food with her, when did she not? Sandwiches, pies, cakes and all sorts of lovely things. And Maggie had made Beth one of her trademark birthday cakes with pink frosting and a white wax twenty candle in the middle. Everyone had embarrassed her by singing Happy Birthday and had watched as she blew out the candle, closed her eyes and made her wish. She grabbed Daryl's hand and leant up and kissed him just as a bright flash went off. Glenn was on camera duty again. Beth wanted those new pictures for her books so had asked him for specific poses and people.

Glenn had just taken the umpteenth photo of Daryl and Beth holding up various baby stuff and birthday presents. Truth be told, Daryl was getting a little tired of posing for the camera and his smile was now only half-heartedly plastered on his face. He really just wanted another piece of Maggie's cake and then a long night of making love to his gorgeous wife. Daryl sighed in relief when there was a knock on the door and he was freed from the photo-taking to go answer it. He'd expected anything but what he found. Salespeople, Dale from downstairs, a friend from work, Mormons, a singing telegram... anything but Merle Dixon. But here he was leaning against the door jamb with his same ol' Merle smirk on his face. "Merle?"

"In the flesh, lil' brother." Daryl's face lifted from shock to pure delight as Merle stepped forward and embraced his brother in a squeezing bear-hug. Daryl couldn't help but notice that Merle's appearance had greatly improved. His clothes looked new, clean and pressed. They were nice, too. Merle was also a lot fitter than before. His color was good and his eyes clear and sharp. And he looked _happy_. Something had definitely changed about Merle Dixon.

"Hope I ain't interruptin', but I was hopin' ta see that lil' wife a yers... and my niece and nephew, I hear." Suddenly Merle looked unsure of himself, a reaction more suited to a younger Daryl than Merle. Seeing that hurtful emotion where it certainly didn't belong hurt Daryl's heart and he opened his mouth to reassure his brother that he was as much welcome here as Daryl himself. Daryl didn't get any of that out, though, before he was roughly pushed aside and a mass of blonde launched itself at Merle.

Merle laughed and looked at his brother over Beth's head as he held her tightly. Merle pulled Beth away from him for a second so he could take a good look at the mom-to-be, then pulled her back into another tight embrace. A silent conversation passed between brothers as Daryl grinned and shook his head as if to say _"See, Merle, this is where you belong - with us"_. Daryl watched as Merle held Beth like she was a precious stone and kissed the top of her head gently. Daryl didn't miss the tears that threatened to invade the corners of Merle's eyes before he blinked them away and cleared his throat.

"Hey. Lil' sister went and got herself knocked up. How 'bout that? Who ya been messin' around with, ain't never had twins on our side 'fore?"

Beth swatted at Merle jokingly. "Don't tease. I'm so mad at you! Where have you been, Merle Dixon?" Beth stopped grinning for a second as she looked into Merle's eyes. "You're supposed to be here with your family. We've been missin' you. The family's not complete if you're not here." Then Beth reached out and pinched Merle hard on his bicep, just like she always did with Shawn.

"Oww! Dammit, girl!"

Beth stuck her tongue out at Merle as he grinned at her in disbelief. "That's what you deserve for bein' gone so long. Now come join the party... that you're late for, by the way. I think we left ya some cake, though."

"Wait, lil bit. These are for you and the lil' ones." Merle dropped two tiny things into Beth's hand. Daryl didn't get to see what they were before Beth was back into Merle's arms, hugging him fiercely again. When she pulled away, Daryl saw tears running down her face. "Hey now, girl, don't do that. They're just a lil' thang, nothin' special."

Beth took a shaky breath and started back into the house. She whispered back over her shoulder. "You're wrong, Merle Dixon, they mean the world 'cause they're from you. Come on. These damn hormones - I need some tissues." She smiled at both brothers and handed the gifts gently to Daryl before disappearing into the house. They were tiny felted wool angels in sparkling green dresses placed lovingly in fine cotton paper wrapping. They were exquisitely made with shiny blue eyes and brunette hair. They were beautiful and delicate, guardian angels to hang over the babies cribs. Daryl couldn't miss the resemblance to Erika.

Daryl embraced his brother one more time. "Merle..." Where should he even start? "How'd ya know...?"

"Oh, weeell...ya know." Merle winked and grinned at his brother. "A pretty lil bird's been whisperin' sweet nuthin's in my ear, lil' brother. Thought I better stick my nose where it don't belong and check up on ya. Looks like I didn't need ta though. Yer doin' jus' fine." Merle patted Daryl's face and shook his chin a little before looking around his brother's shoulder. "Now... that girl say somethin' 'bout cake?"

Beth couldn't wait any longer to tell everyone Daryl's good news, which embarrassed him beyond all reason, even though he'd never felt as much love and pride radiate out from one group of people in his life before. They all congratulated him, Hershel and Merle pulling him into big bear-hugs again, Annette and Maggie almost kissing his face off, one on either cheek and Glenn and Shawn shaking his hand. Glenn looking quite dejected over the job and the salary part, which wasn't helped by the way Maggie was looking at her husband either.

Beth took her sister to the side "Why d'ya make Glenn feel so bad? Money ain't everythin' Maggie… we should know. Daryl studies full time, holding down a 30 hour a week job and I work six days a week in a diner for a pittance, relying on the generosity of strangers to leave me a tip. Daryl deserves it, he deserves somethin' good, he works so hard and ya know what kinda life he's had. Maybe ya should give Glenn a break, he does his best for ya and he loves ya Maggie, yer his entire world yunno. He looks so sorry for himself, go tell him ya love him. Please…. For me, and yer niece and nephew?" Beth gave her sister her best pouty face and Maggie couldn't help but smile.

"Okay. But only 'cause it's yer birthday and I can't argue with a pregnant woman of twins!" Maggie went off to make Glenn feel better. She wasn't really mad or disappointed in him at all and it wasn't about money either. It was Beth. The older sister sometimes felt the tiniest pang of jealousy over her little sister. How she had absolutely everything; beauty, brains, married to her soul mate, two babies on the way, a now rosy future with money and a nice house, and on top of that she'd always been Hershel's favorite. Maggie knew they were all irrational thoughts but her brain went there sometimes anyway, whether she wanted it to or not. It made her feel awful to feel this way and she knew it made Glenn feel inadequate too, which she hated.

Before long, it was time for everyone to leave. They all said their goodbyes, hugged and kissed. Beth thanked them all again for the cards, presents, beautiful baby things, cake and food as they drifted out of the door one by one. Merle hung back until last to tell Daryl how proud he was of him, his usual swagger and bravado hardly there at all. He was just genuine and serious for once. Daryl made Merle promise he wouldn't stay a stranger anymore because Daniel and Faith would need their Uncle Merle to be around for them. Merle said he wasn't going far this time. He'd finally found a reason to stick in one place now. A tiny, pretty, brunette spitfire reason to be precise. Daryl just rolled his eyes at him, before pulling his big brother into another hug.

The couple sat back and flopped out on the couch, side by side. The apartment suddenly humming with a deafening silence that she'd never noticed before, but now all the noise and babble had gone and it was just Daryl and her left in the room, the silence was unbearably loud. Beth couldn't stand it.

"Ya still wanna do all those dirty things ta me?... the chickpeas are asleep." Beth sung the words as she turned to look at her husband with a wicked grin on her lips. Daryl grinned right back at her, his eyes dark and wide.

"I didn't wanna ask, ya looked tired….but yeah... yeah, I wanna do those dirty things ta ya." Daryl almost pounced on his wife, taking her breath away as his mouth crashed into her mouth and his body moulded around her body. The deafening silence of the room broken once again with noise. A joyful, happy, heavenly noise as a man and his wife made love.

**A/N: Please don't forget to leave a note! See you guys again next Friday!**


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